ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Military Council on Tuesday said they would be ready to coordinate with the forces of the Damascus government to protect Syrian territories, should Turkey proceed with its threats to launch an invasion in the north of the country, in a meeting chaired by SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi.
"The meeting... confirmed the SDF’s readiness to coordinate with the forces of the Damascus government to thwart any potential Turkish attack and protect Syrian territories,” a statement issued by the SDF read, adding that “a potential Turkish invasion would negatively affect the stability and unity of the Syrian territories, so the invasion will be confronted not only in the targeted areas but also in the already occupied Syrian territories."
“The General Command was briefed in detail on the Turkish aggressions in the areas of Tal Tamir, Zarkan, Manbij, and Al-Shahba’a, and the military commanders in those areas indicated the negative impact of the Turkish aggressions on the lives of civilians and discussed the best ways to protect them,” it said.
In late May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a new military offensive into northern Syria to create a 30 kilometer “safe zone” along its southern border. It is aimed to push back Kurdish fighters from the area.
Turkey has launched two offensives against Kurdish fighters in Syria since 2018. It alleges that Syria’s main Kurdish militia - the People’s Protection Units, or YPG - are allied with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey and viewed as a terrorist organization by Ankara. The YPG, a backbone of the SDF, has led the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
According to the force, escalations like the previous and future Turkish incursions are "a prelude to the division of Syria," and contribute to "bringing the Syrians back to square one of the Syrian crisis."
The SDF also said it prioritizes de-escalation and "adherence to agreements," but noted that should the Turkish military operation commence, they will not hesitate to protect the region and counter the offensive.
Russia, Syria, and the United Nations have all called on Turkey to refrain from embarking on military escalation in northeast Syria. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price responded to questions posed on Turkey and Syria by Rudaw’s Roj Eli Zalla during a weekly press briefing earlier this week, reiterating US concern about the ongoing talk of military escalation in northern Syria, especially on the impact this would have on the local population.
Syria on Saturday condemned Turkey’s recent attacks in the north of the country, calling them a “violation of international law” and its sovereignty, as Ankara continues its recently launched operations targeting Kurdish fighters.
Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying they were following the “hostile” actions by Turkey, and its constant violations of Syrian sovereignty “which has claimed the lives of a number of innocent people.”
Abdi told Reuters on Sunday that his forces would be open to coordinating with Syrian government troops to fend off a Turkish invasion, adding that Damascus should use its air defence systems against Turkish planes.
The commander said in an interview late Friday that Russia had provided assurances that they will not tolerate a new military operation by Turkey against Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
