Kurdish forces accuse Ankara of preventing their withdrawal from Syria

(Beirut) The Kurdish-dominated commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday accused Turkey of sabotaging a ceasefire agreement in northern Syria, preventing the withdrawal of FDS fighters from the city. besieged Ras al-Ain.

Rouba EL HUSSEINI
France Media Agency

The Washington-brokered truce agreement announced on Thursday implies a withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the border region in exchange for stopping the Turkish offensive launched on Oct. 9 against them in northern Syria.

The agreement "contains a key point stipulating the opening of a corridor under the sponsorship of the United States," said Mazloum Abdi in a telephone interview with AFP.

But the "Turks prevent the withdrawal of the area of ​​Ras al-Ain, they prevent the exit of our forces, wounded and civilians" of the city, he assured.

"The Turks continue to attack our forces and the Americans bear full responsibility for these attacks because they do not put pressure on Turkey," said Abdi.

He assured that the SDS are committed to withdraw, as stipulated in the agreement, from a border area between Ras al-Ain and Tal-Abyad 30 km deep, as soon as the Turks let them out of Ras Al- Ain.

But he warned that "if the agreement is not respected, we will consider that it was only a maneuver between Americans and Turks to say that our forces have not withdrawn and we will consider that it is of a plot against our forces ".

Ankara also on Saturday accused Kurdish forces of violating the truce, while "the Turkish armed forces fully respect the agreement," according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

Resumption of anti-IS operations

Abdi asserted the resumption of FDS operations against the Islamic State (IS) group, with the support of the Washington-led international anti-jihadist coalition in eastern Syria, three days after they announced their suspension.

"We have relaunched the military operations against the IS cells at Deir Ezzor, our forces are working with the coalition," said Mazloum Abdi.

As for the thousands of suspected IS detainees in the SDF jails in northern Syria, he said that "our position is very clear in this regard, we are working with all the coalition member states on this issue. ".

"But if (the) forces (of the coalition) withdraw from our sectors, we will not have to continue to work with it," added the commander of the SDS. "We will do what is in our interest, the prisoners' file is our responsibility".

During the long years of fighting ISIS, the SDF has been supported by the Washington-led coalition, which has since been accused of abandoning it in northern Syria and allowing the offensive launched by Ankara.

American role

Abdi said Saturday the importance of maintaining an American presence in Syria.

"We want the Americans to have a role in Syria so that the Russians and others do not monopolize the ground," he said.

"It is in our interest that US forces stay here for the balance of forces in Syria," he said.

"If the coalition leaves the ground to the Russians and others, it will significantly affect our forces and our administrative presence," he continued, as the Kurds established de facto autonomy in northern and northeastern Syria. the favor of the conflict unleashed in 2011.

Such an American absence would give rise to "new dangers", he warned.

He said the SDF's trust in the Americans "was not the same as it used to be. (…) The Americans have not kept their promises "to protect them.

The commander of the SDF also recalled that the announcement of a US withdrawal from the border area with Turkey has pushed the Kurds to seek help from Damascus.

The Syrian regime has deployed this week under a contract sponsored by Moscow troops in areas near the Turkish border, including Kobane and Minbej.