[Today’s Prayer] Turkey Builds Troops along Syrian Border; US 'Imminent Invasion' Concerns

There are reports in the American media that the United States is keeping a close eye on the possibility of an invasion as Turkey and pro-Turkish militias are increasing their troops near a border city in northern Syria where Kurds live.

According to reports, the Turks concentrated their forces on the border area near Kobani in northern Syria, a Kurdish-majority region, with pro-Turkish militias, Turkish special forces, and artillery units following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria on the 8th of this month.

This appears to be a similar situation to when Turkey invaded northern Syria in 2019, the WSJ analyzed.

A U.S. government official told the Journal that the U.S. was closely monitoring the situation and was “urging restraint.”

Ilham Ahmed, co-chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria, the civilian governing body of Syrian Kurdish forces, appealed to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in a letter today to stop the Turkish invasion.

Ahmed stressed that Turkey was trying to take control of northern Syria before Trump took office, and that "if Turkey were to invade, the consequences would be catastrophic, with 200,000 Kurdish civilians displaced from Kobani alone."

"You can already see the Turkish army concentrating across the border and our civilians continue to live in fear of imminent death and destruction," Ahmed said.

As soon as the Bashar al-Assad regime collapsed, pro-Turkish rebels launched an attack on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish rebel group supported by the US military.

The Turkish government sees the Kurdistan Workers' Party (KWP) and the SDF, which it labels as illegal organizations, as allies.

According to the SDF, the United States had been mediating ceasefire talks between Syrian Kurds and pro-Turkish rebels fighting in Kobani, but the talks broke down today.

Source: News

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

God, who loves all nations, we hear today of the imminent invasion of the Turkiyeh on Syrian soil as the conflict between the Kurdish people and the people of Turkiye in Syria escalates.

We pray that the conflict between the Kurdish people, the world's largest ethnic minority, and the Turkiye, who have suffered from the lack of recognition of their identity in Arab countries, will be resolved in you.

We believe that only the gospel can proclaim freedom in the Kurdish land, and we pray that you will enable the people of Turkiye to abandon worldly values and greed for land and set their hope in Your kingdom.

Raise up the global church to heal the Kurdish people with the gospel, to speak out against the atrocities in Turkiye, and to stand with them in prayer and commitment!

Turkiye, Kurdistan, and Syria, who are currently suffering in darkness, will come to you, who is the light of the world, and they will receive the light of life!

Please unite them in the gospel and raise them up as a people to witness to the good news of Jesus beyond conflict and suffering!