Autonomous Administration presents solutions to problem of foreigners in camps in NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Abdulkarim Omar, co-chair of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) Department of Foreign Relations said they discussed with the governments of the US-led Global Coalition, the UK, and Russia solutions to the problem of foreigners in camps in northeastern Syria.
In statements to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Omar indicated that the recent Turkish threats against Syria’s north “increase the difficulties facing the AANES and give ISIS a chance to restructure itself and seize some regions.
On May 23, Erdogan announced taking steps to complete the so-called remained portions of the “safe zone” plan along Turkey’s southern border saying, “We will soon take new steps regarding the incomplete portions of the project we started on the 30 km deep safe zone we established along our southern border.”
The Turkish “safe zone” is an area of 30-35 km (19-22 miles) deep into Syrian territory that Turkey started establishing in 2019 to house Syrian refugees in an area along its border with Syria, as well as to keep it free from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which it regards as terrorists.
On May 25, Turkey’s National Security Council said that Turkey’s “existing and future military operations along its southern borders were necessary for the country’s security.” In the meeting, Erdogan delivered a speech to the MPs of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and said, “Turkish military would continue to rid its neighbor of terrorists” refers to the SDF.
On June 1, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his threats of launching a military operation on northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Omar summarized the solutions proposed by the administration as following, “Western and Arab countries repatriating their nationals, helping the Autonomous Administration to divide Hawl Camp, accelerating the construction of European-funded rehabilitation centers, exchanging intelligence data to distance the ISIS danger from the region.”
Regarding the proposal to solve the issue of the Islamic State organization (ISIS) fighters, Omar said the solution will be through, ” Establishing a special court to try those on the AANES-held territories.”
The AANES called on Arab and foreign countries to repatriate their nationals of ISIS fighters and families.
Since the beginning of this year, the AANES has handed over 106 family members of foreign ISIS fighters, while over the past three years it has handed over 995 individuals, the majority of whom are children, according to official statistics.
The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS militarily.