Operation Euphrates Shield_{Implementation And Lessons Learned}

The report presents a one-year assessment of the Operation Euphrates Shield (OES) launched on August 24, 2016 and concluded on March 31, 2017 and examines Turkey’s future road map against the backdrop of the developments in Syria.

In the first section, the report analyzes the security environment that paved the way for OES. In the second section, it scrutinizes the military and tactical dimensions and the course of the operation, while in the third section, it concentrates on Turkey’s efforts to establish stability in the territories cleansed of DAESH during and after OES. In the fourth section, the report investigates military and political lessons that can be learned from OES, while in the fifth section, it draws attention to challenges to Turkey’s strategic preferences and alternatives - particularly in the north of Syria - by concentrating on the course of events after OES.