Turkey blackmails EU: AANES representative in France
TEL TAMR, Syria (North Press) – Turkish blackmail of European countries by either “drowning refugees or sending terrorists” to those countries curbs the process to find a solution for the Syrian crisis, but complicates it even more, according to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES)’s representative in France Khalid Issa.
The AANES’ representative in France made his statement to North Press on Monday following his visit to Christian villages on the frontlines with the Turkish army and Turkish-backed armed opposition groups in the town of Tel Tamr.
“France’s position is progressive, despite all Turkish efforts by lobbying and blackmail to buy the support of networks that defend it throughout the world,” Issa added.
“The important and decision making centers in France and Europe support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and see the Autonomous Administration as a better example for Syria than the government and the [opposition] coalition,” The diplomat, who has been meeting with Christian figures in the region for days, said.
“Following the Turkish occupation to Afrin, after two days I was in the European parliament, and only in one day, more than 100 parliamentarians signed a petition denouncing the Turkish offensive,” he pointed out.
“However, European countries face difficulties in implementation due to Turkish blackmail by money or sending big foreign groups to create crises there, but the biggest threat is terrorism that we witnessed during the past years through terrorist operations in several countries including France,” he said.
“The AANES’ representative said that they “told the European parliamentarians and politicians that their submission to Turkish blackmail will push it to escalate more and this is what we see through its blatant interference in Libya, Syria, Cyprus, Greece, and Armenia.”
“Turkey is challenging international will and risking international stability and peace; thus, the international community should be held responsible for these violations by Turkey in the world,” he added.
Meanwhile, Issa pointed to the standpoints of the European countries regarding the Syrian issue saying, “the Syrian issue becomes an international issue and each part uses it within other issues curbing the process of finding a solution.”
“However, all realize that if representatives from north and east Syria do not participate in the negotiations regarding a comprehensive settlement, those negotiations will be illegitimate,” he stated.
The AANES’ representative in France was received in the town of Tel Tamr by the Syriac Military Council official spokesman Aram Hanna.
They both went to survey the conditions of the Assyrian villages on the banks of Khabur River, from which residents fled the Islamic State (ISIS) attacks in 2015 and Turkish aggression in late 2019.