on for hours with these new terms about who you should check it out yourself. this is news live from berlin a new battle opens in syria as pro-government fighters confront turkey they are helping kurdish fighters defend the region of iraq for and against the turkish offensive that began must mom syrian state media say that turkish forces are shelling the pro-government fighters. also coming up germany's social democrats

start their make or break vote on whether to join chancellor merkel and another ground coalition but they're in danger of being overtaken by a party on the far right. and joaquin phoenix says that he usually hates film festivals but not to berlin though and where he is starring in the film don't worry he won't get far on books stick around for all the buzz from our correspondents down on the red carpet. i'm sorry kelly welcome to the program thanks for joining us we begin in syria where government backed troops have entered a free and a kurdish enclave in the north of the country raising the specter of deadly confrontation with turkey columns of fighters were seen moving into the city. as

turkey prepared to lay siege in the coming days turkey has now confirmed reports that its military shelled the area immediately in response the turkish president saying that those fighters have now been pushed back the region is controlled by kurdish forces turkey considers them terrorists. and for more let's bring in middle east analyst marcus climb from the german institute for international and security affairs in berlin welcome to you marcus good to be here a direct face off between turkey and prover g m forces there in offering this could have major implications couldn't indeed do straights a couple of things shifting alliances i mean the kurds in syria been loyal to the regime but they we haven't seen major fighting between the kurds and regime forces for the time of the civil war and now we have a maybe not alliance but a temporary coalition between these two forces and we see the danger of they need

to do that in the confrontation between the military all of turkey and the syrian forces turkey of course has huge military resources and says that it will not leave free and it's actually saying that it will see you know embark on a siege of the city who has the upper hand here would you say i mean you're making a critical point in turkey as seven hundred thousand soldiers was sold the military superiority of turkey's overwhelming at the same time i'm not really sure of turkey will proceed because one way or the other the kurds have been tamed so to speak by the syrian regime now. given the syrian interest in keeping syria together i think the president assad won't accept a new syria story kurdish autonomy in syria which is of concern for turkey as well what makes up for him in particular so important for the turks just for the for the turks it's. seems to be the nucleus or could be come to local use of an independent

kurdish state in the middle east or firsts they want to talk to me and then they want secession from syria and that could to try to correct kurdish territory from the or could kurdish minorities from turkey as well and so that's the major how to put it nightmare off the target leads we have to talk of course about some of the other big actors that could potentially enter this conflict when it comes to offering because we know that the u.s. is turkey's a nato ally of course but it has been providing assistance to the kurds in the fight against the so-called islamic state which the kurds have really been credited with very much helping in the country russia has been backing syria meantime does the conflict in offering to have major implications for the u.s. in moscow absolutely i mean we are used to use the term syrian civil for civil war but actually it's an international war at the same time and for the united states

the situation in the freeness of particular importance because it plans to keep two thousand u.s. soldiers there in order to contain iran which is another good political dimension of the of the game and russian that russia has supported the kurds at the same time to drive the sort of the turkish. offensive at the same time to drive a wedge between the united states and turkey turkey was marcus kind i know you're going to stick around with us because we want to turn to another element of this story with regard to shifts in syria we're going actually to talk about another part of the country we're going to head to eastern guta at the moment that is where the rebel held suburb of damascus is also under siege and government forces have been bombing the area for three days running it is reported that up to two hundred. have big killed the syrian civil defense known as the white helmets

released this footage they are watching right now it is said to show survivors of shelling carried out earlier today the u.n. is warning that eastern go to could become a second aleppo. marcus what do you make of this offensive in particular i mean we're seeing horrible images here a warning from the united nations what is the syrian regime strategy here of these dudes preparing it made. by the band's means of the troops on the ground which is prepared strikes where roughly seventy on strike since monday morning i went through one lot of people being killed several hundred being injured and particularly affecting or aiming at civilians so it's not about a military siege anymore it's not about fighting the rebels anymore it's particularly aiming civilians be infrastructure hospitals and all both things

marcus kayyem from the german institute for international and security affairs in berlin with the latest on happenings there on the ground in syria thank you so much mark thank you. in other news here in germany the center left social democrats have started voting on whether to enter a second coalition with angela merkel's conservative party members have a little over a week to cast their ballots and the results will be announced on march fourth the deal has deeply divided the s.p.v. as rank and file and it's a battle that is pitting the party establishment against its future leaders. nothing is more important for the social democrats over the next ten days and these kind of town hall meetings the party's grassroot is deeply divided as to whether they should agree to a grand coalition deal or not and the face of the rebellion against american led coalition is this young man kevin kuhn at the leader of the party is used to going he's trying to get members to vote no. on. off i believe that we can explain to the

people why a no vote to this grand coalition deal which i am calling for doesn't only mean a no but also a yes because if we're serious and pledge our word it can be a chance to create a different more social democratic policy or to put it to someone. as the face of the internal opposition the social democrats general secretary. is rooting for a yes vote it's a first face of many tonight the debate civilized but passionate in the middle of the event news breaks for the first time the far right alternative for germany party has overtaken the s.p.d. in a national poll the new numbers are a disaster for the party but the coalition campaign thinks it's best to hold course . but this is the best way to tackle bad poll results to develop good concrete policies which improve people's everyday lives that's why i want us to vote for this and then quickly get on your government implementing policies i bet the s.p.d.

will also be stronger against it. that is why the party's establishment will tour the country in the next week in support of the coalition deal passed referendums have been formalities but this time as the town hall shows the result is far from assured. so i have two hearts beating in my chest when i ask for social democracy on the other hand i'm a citizen of this country and as a citizen i am hoping to have a stable government and this is why i will vote for a grand coalition. because according to one system early in your agenda just doesn't represent our general. it was a coalition of the old postpones old important decisions too after twenty twenty five or it took a fatal decision such as the water protections of michigan team a commercial division is simmering at the grassroots of germany's oldest poteen and it's this kind of opposition that in the end could still prevention many from having a stable government anytime soon. down

of the berlin international film festival fader and david levitz are standing by to tell us a little bit more about today's big film and the red carpet action i tell you guys . so we are here at the screening of the new york in phoenix film don't worry he won't get far on flights which is about an american cartoonist not only a cartoonist a quadriplegic cartoonist it's about his battles with corrosive and with alcoholism some pretty brilliant performances both from joaquin phoenix and from the supporting cast now a little bit earlier we saw joaquin phoenix roll up on the red carpet he was in a slightly better mood than he was at the press conference where he actually turned away from journalist and his new taurus lee media shy so we were we were good after that showing that he perked up

a little bit for his red carpet if you're right. and of course walking feel like a big hollywood star and he wasn't the only one showing his face in berlin today right. that's right willem defoe is also here to collect his honorary lifetime achievement award what a career you may know him from such films as the spiderman films in the early two thousand to the last temptation of christ but his career has actually span many different films and many different types of roles and he's actually up for an oscar this year so now let's take a look at his storied career. i got a videotape of the kids illegally entering the utility room turned up to get you right here in his most recent movie the florida project wonderful place motel manager bobby. any money is even a rare huge the performance could win him an oscar this year it's his third oscar

nomination after the war movie platoon and the nosferatu amash shadow off the vampire. we found it was a different place the character max check an actor who takes his role as vampire a bit too seriously. gives us time and love you look at the data what is the matter with my heart that's great expense you will not damage this production. when i'm to fill its biggest blockbuster success came in two thousand to a scientist turned villain green goblin and the marvel movies spider-man. why are you serious you said i'm down to. really get that jet fighter man i think you two will read this together geoff oh has proved more than once that he's a master of many roles. what a career he has had and you know he's assured to get

a bear but what else might have when or who else might when. well that's what we've all been trying to figure out and we've been going to one screening after another i have to say one of the strongest movies i've seen so far it was the world premiere of wes anderson's new movie isle of dogs the first animated feature ever to open the belly. inspired by japanese animation great voices from jeff goldblum all the way to tilda swinton beautiful film and a great story very hard folds and now if i were a betting man i would put my bet on the field. this is a movie featuring three strong female characters that started by a female director and this is of course the first billion dollars since me too so i think it might be a woman's or what do you think i love to feel the emea and i think that it was a wonderful family should not rule out transit which is a wonderful story also dealing with refugees always a very important political topic here in europe maya spader david leavitt's thank

you so much. yes you're up to date now indeed have you news you can join us again at the top of the hour or you can check out our web site or follow us on twitter in the meantime thanks so much for watching shooting w. i'm sara kelly in berlin have to see against. some.

of them. from the. border. we make up over three four tons of coffee that kind of budget we are the civil service and. dean wants to shape the continent's future to be harder to enjoin to some students because they share their stories their dreams you can hear challenges the seventy seven percent to just you splash water from africa to charge

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