Syrian Kurdish National Council condemns Turkish threat, calls to stop attacks

The Kurdish bloc called on the international community to uphold its responsibility and stop the Turkish threats in order to achieve peace.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdish bloc in the Turkey-based Syrian opposition body on Sunday called on the international community to stop a Turkish invasion in the east of the Euphrates after America’s announcement it would withdraw its troops from the region.

The opposition body, known as the “National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces,” has usually supported Turkish attacks on the Kurds in northern Syria, including the invasion of Afrin in January.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Sunday said nobody would be able to stop Turkey from launching an operation in the east of the Euphrates River.

However, the Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS), which is part of the opposition body, has rejected any possibility of a Turkish attack.

“The US president’s sudden decision to withdraw US troops has increased concern and created confusion among most observers, and has increased fear and confusion in the east of the Euphrates,” the ENKS said in a statement.

It also said the surprise decision by US President Donald Trump has led to tensions among different ethnic components.

The Kurdish bloc noted that it takes the Turkish threats very seriously and rejects them. It called on the international community to uphold its responsibility and stop the Turkish threats in order to achieve peace.

A Turkish attack on Kurdish areas would increase the suffering of citizens in the region, the ENKS added.

The ENKS, meanwhile, has been involved in political disputes with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which played a major role in setting up the self-administrations in northern and eastern Syria.

The ENKS has blamed the PYD of unilateralism while the PYD has accused the ENKS of working with Turkey.

“Many thought the problem Turkey had was with PYD, but the practices in Afrin alarmed many people,” Washington-based Kurdish Affairs analyst Mutlu Civiroglu told Kurdistan 24.

“Everyone talked about the erasing of the Kurdish identity of Afrin, and the ENKS also condemned this behavior,” he said. “They are afraid this will be repeated in other regions also.”

The PYD, the main Kurdish ruling party in Syrian Kurdistan, is considered the political affiliate of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which effectively serves as the army of the Kurdish-led enclaves and has emerged as a key partner for the US in fighting the Islamic State in Syria.

The ENKS was founded in Erbil on Oct. 26, 2011, with support from the former President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany