Syria’s Kurds look to Russia, Damascus to help protect border
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdish administration in northern Syria is looking to Russia to intervene on their behalf and compel Damascus to protect their territory from an imminent Turkish offensive.
A delegation from the self-autonomous administration went to Moscow last week.
“Our contacts with Russia, and the regime, are to look for clear mechanisms to protect the northern border,” Aldar Khalil, a senior official in the administration, told Reuters on Thursday.
“We want Russia to play an important role to achieve stability,” he said.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) that administers the quarter of Syria they control tried negotiating with the regime in the summer, but the talks went nowhere when the government demanded too much of the self-autonomous region that wants to hold onto the political gains it has made.
Russia is a close ally of Bashar al-Assad so having Moscow on their side would be a boon for the Kurds.
Moscow could also influence Ankara, which has already said they will not be deterred from their objective by French troops in northern Syria or a possible return of Damascus to the borders.
Turkey’s objective is to “eliminate terrorists” along its border, referring to the Kurdish armed YPG and the political party PYD that Ankara believes are branches of the PKK.
Russia has been nominally friendly to Kurdish overtures in the past, inviting them to the Sochi talks last January. The Kurds chose not to attend, blaming Moscow for giving Ankara the green light for its invasion of Afrin.
Moscow supports the regime returning to northern Syria, filling in the gap that will be left when the Americans depart. But it also wants details from Washington on just what the plan is for the withdrawal.
Turkey has put its planned offensive on hold for a number of months, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said recently. Turkish forces and their Syrian allies, however, continue to build up forces and equipment along the point of contact with the Kurdish lines.
UK-based conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Turkey is waiting for the Kurdish-led SDF to militarily defeat ISIS in Deir ez-Zor province before launching its own offensive.
A delegation from the self-autonomous administration went to Moscow last week.
“Our contacts with Russia, and the regime, are to look for clear mechanisms to protect the northern border,” Aldar Khalil, a senior official in the administration, told Reuters on Thursday.
“We want Russia to play an important role to achieve stability,” he said.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) that administers the quarter of Syria they control tried negotiating with the regime in the summer, but the talks went nowhere when the government demanded too much of the self-autonomous region that wants to hold onto the political gains it has made.
Russia is a close ally of Bashar al-Assad so having Moscow on their side would be a boon for the Kurds.
Moscow could also influence Ankara, which has already said they will not be deterred from their objective by French troops in northern Syria or a possible return of Damascus to the borders.
Turkey’s objective is to “eliminate terrorists” along its border, referring to the Kurdish armed YPG and the political party PYD that Ankara believes are branches of the PKK.
Russia has been nominally friendly to Kurdish overtures in the past, inviting them to the Sochi talks last January. The Kurds chose not to attend, blaming Moscow for giving Ankara the green light for its invasion of Afrin.
Moscow supports the regime returning to northern Syria, filling in the gap that will be left when the Americans depart. But it also wants details from Washington on just what the plan is for the withdrawal.
Turkey has put its planned offensive on hold for a number of months, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said recently. Turkish forces and their Syrian allies, however, continue to build up forces and equipment along the point of contact with the Kurdish lines.
UK-based conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Turkey is waiting for the Kurdish-led SDF to militarily defeat ISIS in Deir ez-Zor province before launching its own offensive.