ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Moscow is to jumpstart dialogue between the Kurdish authorities in northern Syria and central government in Damascus, Russia’s Foreign Minister said amid expectation of an imminent Turkish military operation in Kurdish-controlled areas.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the comments at a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart in Almaty on Wednesday.
“All issues should be settled through dialogue between the central government in Damascus and the representatives of the Kurdish communities which primarily inhabit these territories,” Lavrov said.
“After the exchange of statements which took place between Washington and Ankara, we contacted the Kurdish community and the government of Syria, and it was confirmed that we continue pushing them towards dialogue in order to put an end to the issues which plague the region, namely security issues and the border between Syria and Turkey,” he added.
“We will do our best to facilitate the start of such discussion and I hope that it will be supported by other stakeholders.”
The White House announced Monday that the US would be withdrawing from northern Syria after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told President Trump they would conduct an operation in northeast Syria, currently under the control of Kurdish-led authorities. Around 50 US troops have already withdrawn from the border towns of Sari Kani (Ras al-Ayn) and Tel Abyad.
With Turkey’s Communications Director saying in a Tuesday Washington Post op-ed that their operation would take place “shortly,” speculation has swirled as to whether or not the operation has in fact begun. An Ankara official had confirmed Turkish troops crossed the Syria border Wednesday, Bloomberg reported.
However, Turkey’s Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar was quoted by state media as saying the operation had not yet started.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on their part, both called on the international community to intervene to prevent a “humanitarian crisis” and said it would defend itself from Turkish attacks.
“To protect people of NE #Syria from an imminent humanitarian crisis, we call the @coalition and the international community for the implementation of a No Fly Zone as was done in the past for the people of Iraq," an SDF tweet read.
SDF Jazira canton Military Councils condemned Turkish military threats in a Wednesday presser, adding that it will use its "right to self-defense" if attacked by Turkey.
"The aim of the Turkish state is the occupation and the pillaging of the achievements of our people,” commanders said.
"We as the Jazira Military Council reiterate that we as a protection force are ready to protect the values and achievements of our people, even if in this pursuit our lives are lost, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves for our people,” added SDF.
Despite Turkish claims that part of their mission in northeast Syria is to defeat ISIS, the SDF warned their presence would in fact encourage the ongoing resurgence of the group.
"The Turkish State, with these attacks, opens new roads for Daesh [Islamic State] gangs, and it wants to extend of these groups."
Following Monday’s US withdrawal from the Syria-Turkey border, Syria’s have hinted at possible coordination with President Assad in Damascus.
“We, as a self-administration and as the SDF, will be forced to study all the available options,” Badran Jia Kurd, an adviser to the Autonomous Administration of North and South Syria (NES) told Reuters on Tuesday.
“At that time we may hold talks with Damascus or the Russian side to fill the void or block the Turkish attack, so this may develop and there could be meetings and contacts in case of a vacuum,” he added.
However, Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have since said Kurdish authorities are to blame for their current misfortune, having banked on American support.
“They have been warned more than once before through the meetings held with them of the dangers of the project, and not to be tools in the service of American policies against their homeland. However, these organizations were bent on being tools in the hands of foreigners,” the Syrian MFA said in a statement on Wednesday according to Syrian state media.
Several NES delegations have met with Damascus officials in recent few years hoping to reach a settlement that would preserve Kurdish self-governance under a federal system – similar to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Last year’s negotiations between Kurdish authorities and Damascus faltered, with the Assad regime unwilling to recognize Kurdish autonomy in the areas they governed.
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