Turkey’s threats are assault on Syria’s sovereignty – SDC
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) said on Thursday the expected Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria targets Syria’s sovereignty and the Syrian social fabric.
The SDC is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). It was founded in 2015 and includes all the communities of north and east Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that he has to protect Turkey’s national security and return the Turkey-based Syrian refugees to their homes, but in turn, this would turn northern Syria into a ground that attracts those who dream of an “Islamic Caliphate,” the SDC said.
According to the SDC, the Turkish project threatens the future of the region and regional and international peace and security, and undermines all efforts and sacrifices made in order to fight terrorism. It also claimed that the project impedes a political solution in Syria, by strengthening the position of extremists and terrorists geopolitically.
“The 30km region that the Turkish president is talking about is multi-element, and includes ISIS prisons and their families. The group’s [sleeper] cells are heavily active in this region,” the statement added.
Only a few months have passed since ISIS attempted to break into the Ghweran prison in the city of Hasakah to free their fellow inmates, so they can later help “their families to flee from Hawl camp, which includes nearly sixty thousands of them, and thus control a geographical area to attract its supporters again,” the statement read.
The council believed that the Turkish Justice and Development Party aims at establishing an Islamic caliphate “that embraces extremists and their leaders, such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abdullah Qardash, who were killed near Turkish military posts.”
It lies on the US-led Coalition to prevent the Turkish intervention, “which will cause a humanitarian catastrophe in a region that has already been suffering from political, security and economic challenges,” said the statement, calling the coalition to take a firm position regarding the matter.