Turkey-backed forces took control March 18 of Afrin, Syria, leaving observers to wonder why Kurdish forces appeared to just hand over the city, giving up their 56-day-long resistance. Yet even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cheered his victory, Kurdish leaders pledged to retake the city, saying in a statement, "Resistance … will continue until every inch of Afrin is liberated." 

Clashes intensified March 14-17 between the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces backed by Turkey's army in the Afrin region’s mountainous terrain. Kurdish forces finally abandoned the city's center despite their extensive combat engineering work, fortifications including barriers and tunnels, and support provided by pro-Syrian regime forces. 

Of course, Turkey was pleased to take over the city without heavy clashes, numerous civilian casualties and serious damage to the city’s infrastructure. Yet the question persists: Why did Kurdish forces withdraw after all their efforts to protect the area for almost two months? A few important factors played a role.

Turkey's army and allied FSA forces had armored elements as well as air support provided by Turkish F-16 fighter jets, T129 assault helicopters and drones. Turkey's army facilitated the movement of FSA forces by intensifying the pressure from the air. “The YPG didn’t want to face pressure, [so it] abandoned Afrin,” a military source speaking on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor.