KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Muslim fears a potential Turkish military operation against northern Syria, especially because he has witnessed what has happened to the area in recent years.
Muslim Muslim, 65, from the city of Kobani, northern Syria, said that the city’s residents fear that their area may go through massacres, ruin and destruction, much like those of 2014 and 2015, which were brought about by extremist groups.
Since May 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has continued threatening to launch a new military operation against north Syria, specifying as his targets in Manbij, Tel Rifaat and Kobani.
The looming invasion raises residents’ fears, “especially the fact that it may take place in winter,” he added.
These threats are linked to domestic issues in Turkey and the Turkish presidential elections, as Erdogan is currently experiencing a dip in popularity, according to Muslim.
The Turkish government is attempting to export its internal crisis and to distract the Turkish people with this operation, he says.
Concerns and demands
Muhammad Ismael, 52, from Kobani, fears a February invasion.
Following a bombing in Istanbul that killed six people, Turkey claimed that its military operation will target the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), accusing it of being behind the attack.
Following the blast, the SDF’s Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said that Turkish airstrikes on areas in northern Syria have nothing to do with the Istanbul blast, as Turkey had been preparing for the attack a year in advance.
Ismail told North Press that the residents do not know what to do; their jobs have been suspended due to the Turkish threats.
The man called on the US to take a stronger position towards the operation in order to maintain peace in the region, as it is already war-battered, having survived an ISIS encirclement in 2014-2015.
Ahmad Darwish, 65, from Kobani, expressed his concerns over the potential Turkish ground attack and called on the US-led Global Coalition to stop Turkey from attacking in the same vein as when the US provided air support to the people of the region to fight against ISIS and contributed to the liberation of Kobani.
He finds that the Coalition, UN Security Council, United Nations, and all European countries are under the obligation to deter Turkey from conducting any military operation in the region.
According to the US State Department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, the US objects to any military action that destabilizes Syria and urges Syrian partners not to attack or escalate with Turkey, as such actions threaten the common objectives of the Coalition, including the fight against ISIS and preventing the re-emergence of the terrorist groups.
In previous statements, Mazloum Abdi stressed that the SDF and the AANES do not pose a threat to Turkey and its national security.
We want peace with Turkey, and “have no hostile intentions towards Turkey, not now nor in the future,” Abdi said in an interview with Al-Monitor on January 16.
Fears of Displacement
People of Kobani know that the ground attack would surely lead to their displacement, similar to what happened in 2014. “That is the reason for their fear,” Darwish added.
“If Turkey decides to attack Kobani, that will lead to the destruction of Kobani. The people of this city have suffered greatly in the process of reconstructing the city, which has not been completed, yet Turkey wants to destroy it again.”
Muhammad Sheikh Issa, 64, from Kobani, said that the majority of the people have shut down their businesses due to these threats. The Turkish president wants to take advantage of these attacks in the upcoming elections.
He called on the states of the world to intervene to stop Turkey from launching the attack, “because the people of Kobani are living peacefully in their houses and cities.”
Sheikh Issa suggested that the Turkish president is losing popularity at home and is afraid to lose the elections; “that is why he is threatening to attack this region.”
He believes that the US’ and Russia’s intervention in favor of the people of the region would stop Turkey from implementing its threats.