How likely are the Turks to attack northeast Syria?

After 18 months of threats, Turkey's president warned Tuesday that his troops could attack Kurdish-held areas of northeast Syria "very soon".

Why would Turkey lead such a cross-border incursion, what do Syria's Kurds want, and how is the United States -- an ally of both sides -- trying to ease tensions?

Why the Turkish threats?

While Syria's Kurds have largely stayed out of their country's eight-year war, they have set up their own institutions in a semi-autonomous region in its northeast.

Across the border, Turkey has eyed this push for increased independence with suspicion, regarding Kurdish fighters there as "terrorists".

Read the full article and more in Agence France-Presse.