Syrian Kurds ready for talks with Turkey if they leave Afrin: SDF
General Mazloum Kobani, the overall commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces SDF, April 8, 2019. Photo: ANHA
QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan,— The top military commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Kobani, says we are ready for talks with Turkey if they agree to leave Afrin and end its threats to Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), Hawar News Agency reported.
Kobani made the comments during a speech at a ceremony organized by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of northern Syria near the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani to celebrate the end of the Islamic State’s military defeat.
“The civil and military administration of northern and and eastern Syria is ready to open negotiations with Turkey only if they withdraw from the Afrin. which has been occupied by the Turkish army since March 2018.”
Kobani pointed out that the other condition includes the final abandonment of Turkey from the threat of Kurdish areas of northern and eastern Syria, and the national forces in Syria after that will work to bring peace in the phase following the stage of the elimination of Islamic State in the country.”
Kobani stressed at the same time that their forces have the right to defend their areas against any threat or attack that would undermine the security of Syria, especially the northern regions.
Ankara continuously threatening to launch a new offensive against the Syrian Kurdish fighters as Turkey fears the creation of a Kurdish autonomous region or Kurdish state in Syrian Kurdistan could encourage separatism amongst its own Kurds, according to analysts.
On August 24, 2016 Turkish troops entered the Syrian territory in a sudden incursion which resulted in the occupation of Jarablus after IS jihadists left the city without resistance. Most of Turkish operations were focused only against the Kurdish forces.
In 2016, the Turkish troops entered northern Syria in an area some 100 km east of Afrin to stop the Kurdish YPG forces from extending areas under their control and connecting Syrian Kurdistan’s Kobani and Hasaka in the east with Afrin canton in the west.
In January 2018, Turkish military forces backed pro-Ankara Syrian mercenary fighters to clear the YPG from its northwestern enclave of Afrin. In March 2018, the operation was completed with the capture of the Kurdish city of Afrin.
The flags of Turkey and Syrian rebel groups were raised in the Kurdish Afrin city and a statue of Kurdish hero Kawa, a symbol of resistance against oppressors, was torn down.
Residents of the Kurdish city and Human right groups accuse Turkey and pro-Ankara fighters of kidnappings for ransom, armed robberies and torture.
U.S. has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). But U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced the pullout from Syria.
In March 2019, the Kurdish-led forces announced the end of Islamic State “caliphate” in Syria.
In 2013, the PYD — the political branch of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) — has established three autonomous Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan in 2013. On March 17, 2016, Kurdish authorities announced the creation of a “federal region” made up of those semi-autonomous regions in Syrian Kurdistan.
(with files from hawarnews.com)
Copyright © 2019 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved
Comments