Officials of northeast Syria meet to discuss Turkish threats
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Officials of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), held on Saturday a tripartite meeting in Hasakah, northeast Syria.
The meeting discussed the attitudes of the guarantor countries of the ceasefire agreement and to set an action plan to deal with the latest military developments.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on May 23 that Turkey would soon launch a new military operation into northern Syria to create a 30-kilometer (19-mile) “security zone” along the border.
The meeting was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, and members of the military leadership, Ilham Ahmed and Amina Omar, and a number of members of the presidential body in SDC, the co-chair of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration, Berivan Khalid, and officials in the council.
“The meeting was held to discuss the latest developments following the Turkish threats. We also discussed the necessary measures that must be taken to stop this military operation through political and diplomatic means or militarily by our forces against the Turkish operation,” Amina Omar, co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, told North Press.
The meeting also discussed extensively the seriousness of this stage, the dimensions and objectives of this military operation, and its possible results, she added.
The potential Turkish military operation will lead to a large wave of displacement and chaos that will reflect on the efforts to combat ISIS and the security and stability of the region, according to Omar.
The SDC official explained that the Turkish threats do not only threaten northeast Syria, but also all of Syria. Accordingly, they discussed the 2019 agreements as well as the importance of the security and military coordination between the SDF and the Syrian army to thwart the Turkish plan.
Following the Turkish “Peace Spring” military operation in October 2019, which resulted in the occupation of the two cities of Tel Abyad, north of Raqqa, and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), north of Hasakah, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US.
The agreements stipulate halt of all hostilities there and the withdrawal of the SDF 30 km in depth away from the Turkish border in addition to conducting Turkish-Russian joint patrols in order to monitor the implementation of the agreements.
Omar said that they are in constant contact with many European capitals, and they all confirmed their rejection of the Turkish military operation.
She also said that they are in constant contact with European Union countries, noting that the West’s attitudes need to be more clear.
The meeting ended with setting an action plan by the SDF, SDC, and the Autonomous Administration to deal with the developments and their repercussions within northeast Syria by each institution.
The attendees agreed on intensifying political, diplomatic and military action as well as holding local, regional and international meetings, unifying discourse, and reminding the guarantor actors of their duties towards the region.