Posted on 06/30/2017 12:09:23 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Turkish army forces (R), and Kurdish YPG fighters (L). Photo: Jinda Ibrahim/ARA News
Kurdish officials have called on the international coalition to stop Turkey’s military operation against Rojava-Northern Syria.
The Syrian Kurds say that the operation, which targets Afrin (Efrîn) District, could imperil the ongoing Raqqa campaign.
Sihanok Dibo, a senior official in the Democratic Union Party (PYD), said on Thursday that Turkey and its proxy forces had been bombing Afrin in order “to disrupt liberation of Raqqa.”
The Kurdish official added that ending Turkey’s aggression was “the responsibility of the international coalition.”
Sharvan Darwish, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), echoed Dibo in a statement, calling on the world to stop Turkish aggression.
“For years, we’ve been fighting the terrorists with our lives & blood!” he said. “[The] world should take a stand against Turkish occupying aggression around Efrin.”
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said on Wednesday that the SDF should be cleared out of the Afrin to ensure the security of Azaz, Maree, Al-Bab and Idlib.
“The problem in the region is the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), their control over Afrin and the establishment of a Russian base there,” Kaynak told the media in Kahramanmaraş.
A Kurdish journalist in Afrin told ARA News that Russian forces remain in Afrin District, and that while there was Turkish shelling yesterday, the region was relatively quiet today.
The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have said they will respond to any Turkish aggression with force.
According to the Kurdish news agency ANHA, the Turkish Army and its proxies have issued warnings to Kurdish villages near Til Rifaat in Aleppo Governorate, ordering them to evacuate within two days.
The Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta news organization reported that Kurdish forces are counting on Moscow to respond to another Turkish military campaign aimed at seizing Afrin.
Syrian Kurds suspect that there is a deal being hatched between the Syrian government, Moscow and Ankara. Under its terms, the parties would isolate Afrin, and allow Turkey to attack Kurdish communities in northwestern Syria.
According to Russian experts, the weakening of the Kurds in Afrin benefits both Ankara and Damascus.
“There are enough forces to hold up its defense,” explained Anton Mardasov, Head of the Department of Middle Eastern Conflicts at the Institute for Innovative Development. “Turkey’s previous attempts with the help of the Syrian opposition failed. Now the question is, what forces can they attract.”
Of course Erdogan will resist that "request" because he is so close to being ISIS.
God Bless and Protect the Coalition who are engaged in battle to End ISIS. May they prevail soon.
Syria Ping
Since Mattis didn’t respond to Turkey blasting the Kurds yesterday, this really doesn’t sound good.
Especially since the article you posted yesterday reported:
“Why did the Americans not fire back at Turkish artillery and Turkish-backed rebels clashing with the SDF this time? The Americans would say they are not partnered with SDF in Afrin, but just with SDF in the rest of Syria which is convenient. Many times before, albeit not this time, the Turks also attacked SDF where it is backed by the US and there was no such American response.
“In fact, the Lebanese journalist Jenan Moussa who is right now in Kurdish-held north-eastern Syria (she interviewed Trump’s envoy Brett McGurk) says she has been told that at various times before the Turkish army even fired in the direction of US forces themselves.”
Is this because of their fight for independence? I wonder if it means we will not help them in that, and that they will have to do it alone!
“Of course Erdogan will resist that “request” because he is so close to being ISIS.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Very true, indeed. Death to ISIS!
Does Erdogan still have the water supply cut off?
Erdogan spoke with Trump & Putin today so we shall see now....
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