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Middle East
Turkish Defense Ministry Spokesperson Zeki Akturk speaking during a press briefing in Ankara on December 19, 2024. Photo: AA
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey’s defense ministry on Thursday denied having agreed to a ceasefire, brokered by the United States, with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stating that Ankara will not halt its military campaign until the Kurdish-led force “disarms.”
The US brokered a four-day ceasefire between the SDF and Turkey last week, which State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said was extended on Tuesday.
The ceasefire extension came amid a proposal by SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi for a demilitarized zone in Kobane under US supervision, an initiative he said “aims to address Turkish security concerns and ensure the long-term stability of the region.”
“We do not negotiate with terrorist organizations; we believe this is a slip of the tongue,” Turkish Defense Ministry Spokesperson Zeki Akturk said during a press briefing.
Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as the Syrian front for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - designated as a terrorist group by Ankara.
“Our preparations and measures in the fight against terrorism will continue until the PKK/YPG terrorist organization lays down its arms and the foreign fighters within it leave Syria,” Akturk said.
The Turkish defense ministry said later on X that they will “continue to take preventive and destructive” measures against what it calls “terrorist organizations”.
The SDF said in a statement on Thursday that despite the efforts of the US-led global coalition to deescalate the tensions in the region, Turkey and the forces it backs “did not abide by these calls and persisted in their attacks on the southern frontlines of Kobani in Qara Qwzaq Bridge and Tishreen Dam,” adding that they will "not hesitate" to defend themselves.
"We, the Syrian Democratic Forces, emphasize the importance of de-escalation, the cessation of all military operations, and the resolution of all outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue. However, we will not hesitate to defend our people and territories against any aggression or attack," the SDF said.
This comes a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Al Jazeera in an interview that their tensions with the Kurdish forces in northern Syria are the concern of the new administration in Damascus, adding that if the issue is addressed “properly” Ankara will not seek a military intervention.
“There is a new administration in Damascus now. I think this is primarily their concern now… if they address this issue properly, so there would be no reason for us to intervene,” Fidan said.
Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports, who call themselves Syrian National Army (SNA), have prepared to strike Kobane after rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime earlier this month. They first moved against the Kurdish-led SDF by attacking Tal Rifaat and Manbij and eventually taking them.
The current authority in Damascus, led by a coalition of militia groups spearheaded by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has not spoken against the Kurdish autonomous administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) since they toppled Assad.
A spokesperson for Syria’s transitional government told Rudaw on Wednesday that no authority other than the central government in Damascus will be recognized.
Amid the possibility of a Turkish attack, prominent US Senators Lindsey Graham and Chris Van Hollen, of the Republican and Democratic parties respectively, warned that they will introduce bilateral sanctions legislation on Turkey if it does not accept a US-brokered ceasefire.
“The United States must immediately use all the tools at our disposal to press for a sustained ceasefire and a demilitarized zone. If Turkey does not accept those terms, we tend to introduce bipartisan sanctions legislation this week,” a joint statement from both senators said.
Senator John Kennedy of the Republican party, called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to leave the Kurds alone, during remarks he made at the Senate floor on Tuesday.
“President Erdogan, the distinguished president of Turkey, leave the Kurds alone,” Kennedy said.
“The Kurds are America's friends… The people most responsible for helping us, most responsible for destroying ISIS were the Kurds,” he added.
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