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Syria
Turkey-backed Syrian fighters surround a Turkish tank outside the Syrian city of Manbij on October 14, 2019. Photo: AFP/ Zein Al Rifai
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —As Turkey’s incursion into Kurdish-controlled Syria enters its ninth day, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) vowed to protect the town of Sari Kani, also known in Arabic as Ras al-Ain, on Tuesday following the capture of Turkish military vehicles in Tel Tamr to the south of Sari Kani.
A YPG fighter displaying the Turkish armed vehicle vowed that they will stand their ground in the face of Turkish attacks.
“Let the mercenaries of the Turks, of Erdogan, and everyone know that no one can defeat the YPG" the YPG fighter, who declined to give his name, told Rudaw TV. "Let them know we are the people who are on the just side. We are protecting our country."
“We will sacrifice ourselves for our land. We will sacrifice ourselves for Rojava," he added, using the Kurdish name for northeast Syria. The soldier called their soldiers an "Apoci force," referring to the nickname of jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) founder Abdullah Ocalan.
Over a week since Turkey launched its “Peace Spring” operation into Kurdish-controlled areas in north east Syria, clashes have continued on multiple fronts. Turkey considers the YPG and the alliance it leads, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to be an extension of the PKK in Turkey. The PKK has fought Turkey for decades for more rights for Turkey's Kurds.
Turkish-backed Syrian groups on Monday started a push into Manbij, in a bid to take control of it. According to local Kurdish media, Turkey blew up a bridge connecting the Western edge of Kurdish-held territories, namely in Manbij, on Wednesday. The Aun Dadat bridge connected Manbij to Jarablus.
Since then, US troops have pulled out of their bases in Manbij, and Syrian regime and Russian troops have already arrived in the city.Russia’s military police held its first patrol in Manbij on Wednesday, according to Russian news agency TASS. Previously, US troops held joint patrols with Turkish troops in the city.
“We have patrolled the city streets for the first time. When the Russian flag appears, combat stops - neither Turks nor Kurds want to harm us, so fighting stops thanks to our work,” Safar Safarov, Russia’s military police officer in Syria, told reporters on Wednesday.
"One week ago, we could not just enter Manbij openly, showing the flag, as US servicemen from the two military bases always stopped and intercepted us on the road because of different understandings of responsibility zones,” he said. “Last week, we blocked each other on the road three times.”
“We will continue controlling our zone of responsibility. Our main task is to ensure the security of the population in case of shellings from any side.” Safarov added. “This is not our first task in this zone. We have been here for more than half a year already, and we did not have any problems with anyone.”
As for other fronts in the north, Turkish forces and their Syrian opposition groups were not able to make advances on Tuesday. According to the UK-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a three-pronged attack from the north, east and west against the Kurdish border town Sari Kani failed.
The border town, which was fully re-captured by Kurdish forces later on Tuesday, is subject to continued clashes. On Wednesday, fierce Turkish airstrikes and shelling have been reported.
Kurdish forces have been making use of a system of tunnels they have constructed beneath Sari Kani to mount successful counterattacks and defenses.
Clashes in Ain Issa, where an ISIS camp has seen prisoners and ISIS families escaping , also saw action. According to SOHR, Syrian regime troops stationed nearby, which have returned to some of the Kurdish-controlled areas following a deal with the Kurds, shelled positions of Turkish-backed groups.
Amid the Kurdish vows to stand their ground, Turkish-backed groups embedded with the Turkish army have reportedly withdrawn.
An unidentified commander in the mostly-Turkmen Sultan Murad Division, a favorite proxy of Turkey, in a video that surfaced on Tuesday around Sari Kani is seen expressing frustration with withdrawal by Turkish-backed groups.
“You commanders of Sultan Murad, don’t blame us if we withdraw from our positions because others have started withdrawing,” the commander said, adding that only 20 fighters remain.
The Turkish Operation is stalling, and no major gains have been made. Besides the border town of Tel Abyad, which was captured last Monday, no major towns have been captured.
The US has already sanctioned three Turkish ministers and two ministries over the Syria offensive, with threats that the US will increase sanctions even more if Turkey continues its operation.
The US is in Syria to back the SDF in its fight against the Islamic State (IS).
A Manhattan Federal Court also on Tuesday indicted Turkey’s Halkbank over multiple financial crimes, such as helping Iran evade US sanctions, in what seems to be part of the pressure campaign to have Turkey halt its offensive.
The EU has already condemned Turkey’s operation, imposing a de-facto arms embargo on Turkey.
A US delegation composed of Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien are set to meet Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today.
However, the Turkish President has said that he will not meet the US delegation and will only talk to his counterpart President Donald Trump.
Erdogan again reiterated in a speech to his deputies that the incursion would only be stopped in the event of a Kurdish withdrawal from Turkey’s planned safe zone.
“Our suggestion is for terrorists to throw their weapons and equipment down tonight, for them to destroy their fortifications and leave the safe zone we have determined,” the Turkish president said in a speech on Wednesday.
“In case of the implementation of the suggestion of terrorists going out of the safe zone, then the Peace Spring operation will automatically end,” added Erdogan.
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