US ‘deeply concerned’ with developments in Afrin: State Department

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The United States on Monday said it was “deeply concerned” with recent developments in Syrian Kurdistan’s Afrin region which was taken over by Turkish forces and Syrian rebel allies the previous day.

“The United States is deeply concerned over reports from Afrin City over the last 48 hours,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

“It appears the majority of the population of the city, which is predominantly Kurdish, evacuated under threat of attack from Turkish military forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces,” she added.

Turkish and Syrian rebel forces overtook the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin on Sunday where they declared full control following a nearly two-month long offensive against the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara, who launched its military incursion into Afrin on Jan. 20, claimed the operation was meant to secure its borders of YPG forces which it argues are an offshoot of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), thus “terrorists.”

The United States, who has supported and armed the Kurdish forces in the ongoing battle against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had not openly voiced its defense of the YPG but called on Turkey to limit its offensive during the eight-week campaign.

In her statement, Nauert warned that recent developments in Afrin “adds to the already concerning humanitarian situation in the area.”

The United Nations has reported “a displaced population in or from Afrin district in the hundreds of thousands, who now require immediate shelter and other assistance to meet basic needs.”

“We are also concerned over reports of looting inside the city of Afrin,” she added. “We have repeatedly expressed our serious concerns to Turkish officials regarding the situation in Afrin.”

International powers, including the US and Russia, have been idle in their efforts to end Turkey’s offensive, with Moscow notably giving Ankara the green-light to proceed with its operation in January.

Nauert reiterated Washington’s support for a UN Security Council ceasefire (resolution 2401) which calls for a nationwide cessation of hostilities throughout Syria for at least 30 days.

The resolution was approved on Feb. 24, but Turkey notably rejected the call, arguing it did not apply to its operation in Afrin.

The State Department Spokesperson noted that the conflict in Afrin “has distracted from the Defeat IS campaign and provided opportunity for IS to begin reconstituting in some areas.”

“This is a serious and growing concern,” she concluded. “We call on all actors in Syria to remain focused on this significant threat from IS.”