Consensus among actors in Syria on rejecting Turkish operation – Mazloum Abdi
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said on Sunday that most actors involved in Syria reject a potential Turkish military operation in northern Syria.
In an interview with Al-Hurra TV channel, Abdi spoke about a number of issues related to the Syrian issue, most notably the Turkish threats to launch a new operation in northern Syria and its repercussions on the region.
Abdi denied carrying out any military operations by his forces against Turkey, with the exception of some operations for defense purposes. He noted that Turkey repeatedly invokes these allegations to achieve its political goals.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently announced plans to carry out another major military cross-border incursion into northern Syria. Erdogan specified his targets in the two northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.
On July 1, Erdogan said that Ankara’s new military operation in northern Syria could begin at any moment.
“The time has come to clear these lands from the terrorist organizations,” Erdogan threatened during Tehran Summit.
Tehran Summit, on July 19, brought together presidents of each of Iran, Russia and Turkey with the Syrian issue and Turkish threats on the top of its agenda.
Abdi said that Turkey is implementing a demographic change policy in the areas under its control in northern Syria, adding, “Turkey wants to eliminate the Kurdish issue in Syria. The rest of the accusations are just excuses.”
He stressed that Turkey’s humanitarian claims of returning the Turkey-based Syrian refugees are false rather they bear a political goal to target all of Syria, the Kurdish people and all communities of the region.
Commenting on the Turkish project to settle more than one million Syrian refugees in northern Syria, Abdi said, “It [Turkey] wants to settle them in place of the original inhabitants…which means the original population will be displaced and others will be settled in their place.”
On May 23, Erdogan announced taking steps to complete remained portions of the so-called “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 project aims to sow sedition between the communities of the region, Abdi added, noting that the SDF will put all its effort to thwart it.
The SDF Commander in Chief said that they are in constant contact with the United States and the US-led Global Coalition regarding the latest Turkish threats, adding that they have much “stronger and positive position.”
He added, “All American institutions expressed their rejection to the Turkish military operation, and we were told that the US also showed a clear stance regarding the operation in the last meeting held in Madrid between Joe Biden and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”
Abdi expressed his satisfaction with the actors’ positions, but stressed that they – especially the US stance – still fall short in light of the ongoing Turkish threats.
Regarding the Syrian government’s position, Abdi said that if Turkey’s threats are realized and these areas in northern Syria are occupied, “the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions and the mercenaries linked to the Syrian National Coalition will grow stronger in the face of the Syrian regime.”
Abdi added that the Syrian government and its Russian ally are against Turkey’s threats, but “the Syrian regime is trying to benefit from the current threats as it did previously and is currently doing …They will certainly try to take advantage of them to regain control of these areas.”
Abdi said that the threats drove them to make understandings with the government, allowing the latter to deploy forces on the border strip.
Regarding the SDF’s options in case Turkey implements its threats, Abdi said, “We are currently working so that repelling the attack becomes the responsibility of Syria as a whole. The Syrian state must be in this war and protect this land and all Syrians should engage in this war against the Turkish occupation. And even if we remain alone, we will still stand against this attack again.”
Abdi warned of the repercussions of the Turkish invasion of northern Syria at local, regional and international levels, calling on concerned countries to intervene to prevent it.
He said that any military action will exacerbate the displacement crisis, will lead to a “humanitarian tragedy” and significant demographic changes, as well as impede efforts to combat the Islamic State Organization (ISIS).
The SDF commander went further saying, “In short, we will not be able to fight on two fronts at the same time. We will naturally focus on one. Our focus will be on the northern front to protect the area from Turkish attacks, and our operations against ISIS sleeper cells will decrease.”
He pointed out that the Turkish-held areas in Syria have become a fertile ground for ISIS sleeper cells, in reference to several operations the SDF had carried out against leaders of ISIS in the Turkish-held areas.
Abdi revealed that ISIS, according to information received, is preparing itself to launch attacks on Hawl Camp, the countryside of Deir ez-Zor and the prisons that hold their inmates, as soon as they find the right time to do so.
Hawl Camp, 45 km east of the city of Hasakah, is a house for 55.829 individuals, including 28.725 Iraqis, 18.850 Syrians and 8.254 of foreign nationalities, according to the latest statistics obtained by North Press.
The camp witnesses murders with different methods, most notably firearms. The management of the camp fears that the latest Turkish threats of invading areas in northern Syria would pave the way for ISIS to reorganize its ranks; North Press cited a statement by the management as saying.