ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syria’s Kurds have not yet approved the Russian-brokered deal with Turkey concerning the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the Syria-Turkey border, as they were not consulted and have “reservations”, SDF commander Mazloum Kobani Abdi said Thursday.
Russia and Turkey reached an agreement in Russia’s Sochi late on Tuesday to pause the Turkish invasion of northern Syria for six days to facilitate the withdrawal of the SDF, just as the US-brokered agreement for a five-day ceasefire came to an end. The situation has calmed save for few isolated skirmishes.
“We see the Russian steps as positive but we have our own thoughts about the contents of this agreement. In the coming days we will continue our meetings with Russian envoys. We will tell them what we want to be changed,” Abdi told reporters in Hasaka late on Thursday.
Abdi spoke with Russia’s defense minister via video conference on Wednesday, thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for his efforts to “save” the Kurds from Turkish aggression.
Kurdish forces withdrew from Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) and Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain) after the Turkish-led forces of Operation Peace Spring seized control of both towns.
“We accepted the ceasefire [in the areas between Sare Kaniye and Gire Spi] to allow us to withdraw from there via the M4 road,” the SDF commander told reporters.
“We have not accepted the 13 articles published by media,” said added, referring to the Sochi agreement. “We have not been consulted and we have not accepted it. We have only accepted a ceasefire for the time being.”
Kurdish forces and Russian envoys will continue their meetings in “coming days” to discuss SDF “reservations”, Abdi said.
Under the Sochi deal with Russia and Turkey, Russian military police will patrol some northern areas including Kobane and will also conduct joint patrols with Turkey to the east of Sari Kani, excluding Qamishli.
Russian military vehicles were seen in Kobane on Wednesday being greeted by resident who had once defeated a ferocious Islamic State (ISIS) siege. Another Russian force also entered Qamishli on Thursday.
‘Non-negotiable’
Abdi also talked about the unity of Kurds, especially those living in northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava.
“We call on all the political forces of the Kurds – particularly those in Rojava – to put aside their differences and pass this historical and sensitive stage together,” he said.
Regarding the strategic Semalka-Peshkhabour border crossing with Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the SDF commander said they will not hand it over to any force as it is the “oxygen” of Rojava.
“Semalka border crossing is the oxygen of north and east Syria. No one can remain there except for our forces and the Autonomous Administration [of North and East Syria (NES)]. It is non-negotiable. It is a strategic border and will remain so.”
The border crossing is the main gate between both Kurdish regions, allowing Rojava to import goods from the Kurdistan Region. Despite occasional closures due to disagreements between both Kurdish regions, the border crossing has allowed Rojava to import materials for reconstruction. Many of the imported goods were even Turkish-made.
A few days after the Turkish offensive began, the SDF and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad reached an agreement to hand control of the shared border to the Syrian Arab Army.
Abdi insisted in Thursday’s press conference that the deal was only struck to prevent the Turkish incursion.
