Mazloum Abdi: Turkey seeks to hit efforts to defeat terrorism

On Friday, The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said that one of goals that Turkey seeks through threatening to invade the region is to hit efforts by the SDF and the US-led Global Coalition against terrorism.

Abdi’s speech came in a press conference in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria.

He stressed that if Turkey attacks the region, these efforts against terrorism will be foiled.

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.

“I always say that we can start [the incursion] at any moment at night. We should not worry and rush, especially since we are working in the area,” Erdogan told reporters after returning from the NATO summit in Madrid

Abdi added that Turkey is mobilizing its forces and preparing for a new invasion, and if it gets the chance, it will launch the new military operation, stressing that Turkey does not commit to the October agreement of 2019.  

Following the Turkish incursion in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.

The SDF did withdrew from the border areas according to the agreement, but Turkey continues targeting the area.

The Turkish threats against northeast Syria continues and there is military mobilization on contact lines with the SDF, Abdi stressed.

Turkey claims that “our forces do not commit to Sochi agreement of 2019, but this pretext is a fake,” he said.

He went further saying that Turkish ground and air attacks against areas in northeastern Syria are continuing.

The SDF Commander in Chief added, “Investigations revealed that the attack on Guweiran prison was launched from the Turkish-occupied areas… the Turkish-occupied areas is a safe haven for terrorists from which they launch the attacks against our areas.”

On July 12, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the killing of one of the top five Islamic State Organization (ISIS) leaders and the leader of ISIS in Syria, Mahe al-Agal in a strike in Jindires district in the countryside of the Turkish-occupied city of Afrin, north of Aleppo.

The strike on al-Agal comes months after the previous leader of the ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, killed himself during a raid of his hideout by American special forces in Idlib Governorate in an area run by Turkish forces and their affiliated Syrian opposition factions.

The SDF Commander in Chief noted that it is hard for the SDF to battle on two frontlines (against ISIS and Turkey) at the same time.

Any attack by the Turkish occupation curbs the war against ISIS, which according to intelligence information is preparing to attack Hawl Camp, Abdi said.

He added saying that operations against ISIS has lessened due to the Turkish threats.

“We are committed to the ceasefire agreement, and our forces withdrew 30 km from the border, Russian-Turkish joint patrols are launched, and the government forces deploy there,” he noted.

He also said that during the past two months the SDF held intensive meetings with allies including the US and Russia to stop these attacks that have been faced with stances by the US-led Global Coalition, but they [stances] cannot stop Turkey from attacking.

“There are efforts by #Russia to curb the Turkish invasion. We are ready to confront any attacks against our regions,” Abdi told journalists.

“We are eagerly awaiting the tripartite meeting that will bring together Turkey, Russia, and Iran on July 19, and we believe that other parties will not allow Turkish forces to launch their attacks against our areas,” he said.

Speaking of the Syrian government forces, Abdi said, “We accepted that the Syrian Army fortifies its posts in Kobani, Manbij and border areas in order to carry out its task to protect Syrian border, and we will do what is needed to avoid war against our areas.”

“We do not want war rather we seek to preserve the ceasefire and we continue to do so in this regard,” he stressed.

The SDF Commander in Chief noted that conditions this time differ, but domestic unrest in Turkey may push it to launch the war; however, this war will not be similar to the previous ones, stressing that the SDF will not withdraw from any area as Turkey believes.

” We are highly prepared to counter any potential attack, and we took measures to face aircrafts too. If Turkey launches a new attack, it will not be easy and our response will be tough this time,” he stressed.



PUKmedia/North Press Agency