By di year 2016, five years afta di Syrian civil war start, di conflict don turn to one kain wahala wey involve plenty foreign countries and different non-state groups wey dey fight for power.

Di Assad government, wey don weak because of di long fight, still dey hold ground for di West side of Syria because of di help wey dem dey get from outside. Meanwhile, Daesh dey control Raqqa and di Euphrates Valley.

For northern Syria, di PYD/YPG, wey dey linked to di PKK group and dey get support from Western countries, dey expand dia control steady.

Dis kain division for Syria political and land matter affect Türkiye directly. By di middle of 2016, Ankara dey face plenty wahala as di area dey scatter anyhow.

As di government for Syria no fit control di southern border again, terrorist groups and other non-state actors dey take over. Dis one come make di threat to Türkiye national security clear well well.

From Ankara side, di way di groups dey take over no be new balance, but e be like say dem dey try surround dem strategically.

For di southern border, Daesh dey attack Turkish towns and civilians with suicide bomb and rocket. For di north of Aleppo, di PYD/YPG dey try create one terror corridor wey fit scatter di region peace.

No other NATO country dey face di kain immediate and complex threat wey Türkiye dey face. To stop di wahala, Ankara don dey propose make dem create safe zone for northern Syria.

But di proposals wey Türkiye dey give international organisations and di big players for di conflict no get better support. As di threats dey increase and no better help dey come, Ankara decide say military action na di only way to protect dia country.

On August 24, 2016, Türkiye launch Operation Euphrates Shield, wey dem base on Article 51 of di UN Charter wey talk say every country get right to defend demsef.

Di operation get two main goals: to clear Daesh from di border area and to stop di PYD/YPG from joining dia territories together for northern Syria.

For seven months, Turkish forces secure over 2,000 square kilometres of land for northern Syria, free 243 towns and villages, and neutralise or capture over 3,000 Daesh members.

Dem engage nearly 20,000 Daesh targets and capture al-Bab on February 24, 2017, one town wey get big strategic value. Dis make Türkiye di only NATO country wey carry ground operation fight Daesh directly.

Di operation na turning point for Türkiye, especially afta di July 15 coup attempt and di threats from FETO, Daesh, and PYD/YPG. E show say Türkiye don ready to dey more assertive for dia regional policy.

Euphrates Shield lay di foundation for Türkiye new military strategy wey dem dey call 'forward defence.' Dis strategy don mature and lead to other operations like Olive Branch (2018), Peace Spring (2019), and Spring Shield (2020).

Strategically, di operation change di way di Syrian conflict dey go. Di presence of Turkish troops for northern Syria stop di Assad regime and PYD/YPG from achieving dia plans.

Di buffer zone wey dem create give di Syrian opposition space to regroup and challenge di regime control. Dis operation na one big step wey lead to di eventual fall of di Assad regime and di opposition rise to power by 2025.

Operation Euphrates Shield show say strong action fit protect national interest when diplomacy no work. Nearly ten years later, di Assad regime don fall and Syria dey closer to peace.

But di road to lasting peace still far. Di PYD/YPG never gree dismantle dia structures despite di March 2025 agreement to integrate. Dis one dey threaten di peace process.

To make di peace process work, di international community need to take Türkiye and Syria security concerns serious. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan don talk say di YPG need to stop dia delay tactics.

Di question now be whether di chance wey Euphrates Shield create go turn to lasting stability or di PYD/YPG go use dia separatist plans scatter am.