Syrian opposition urges Rojava Peshmerga to join Turkey-backed rebels

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - The Syrian Kurdish forces in Kurdistan Region (known as Rojava Peshmerga) will be a stabilizing factor if they move to Syria and support the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the head of Syria's Turkey-backed political opposition said on Monday.

In a press conference in Erbil, Anas Abdah, president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, said Rojava Peshmerga will bring stability to the whole country, not only the Kurdish areas.

"The military units belonging to Syria's Kurdish National Council [ENKS] are Syrian national forces and not representing a certain faction," he said.

Regarding the Turkish support for the FSA, the military wing of the Turkey-backed Syrian oppositon, Abdah said that the Turkish support is not only political, but also military.

"Turkey and the international coalition support for our forces in their fight against Daesh [IS] is a great gain for Syria, Kurdistan Region and the entire world," Abdah said.

On his meeting with President Masoud Barzani, Abdah said highly appreciated the support of Kurdistan Region for the Syrian people.

"President Barzani has always been a sincere friend and of a great support for the Syrian people since the beginning of the Revolution," he said.

On the offensive that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched last month to retake the city of Raqqa, Abdah said that the FSA is the only qualified force to retake Raqqa.

"YPG and their affiliated forces are not qualified militarily and civically for retaking Raqqa, because their advance toward the city will lead to sectarian conflicts in the future," he said.   

On any potential clash between the Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and the YPG in northern Syria, Abdah said that the US-led coalition observes and coordinates with both forces that are fighting against the Islamic State (IS).

The Turkey-backed Syrian rebels (also referred to as the Free Syrian Army), who were organized under a Turkey-brokered operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield," took control of the Syrian town of Jarabulus on the border with Turkey about three months ago.

Rojava Peshmerga make up thousands of dissident Kurdish soldiers who fled the Syrian Army in the early days of the Syrian civil war to fight IS in the Kurdistan Region.

They have been fighting alongside Peshmerga forces since the beginning of IS’ emergence in 2014.