Syrian Kurdish forces deny links to Ankara attack as Turkey strikes

HASAKA, Syrian Kurdistan,— In response to recent deadly attacks in Ankara, Kurdish-led Syrian forces have rejected allegations of involvement, as Turkey’s retaliatory airstrikes target key Kurdish areas in Syrian Kurdistan and Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkey claims the attackers infiltrated from Syria, sparking intense military action across the region, which top Kurdish commanders say has led to substantial civilian losses and damage to vital infrastructure.

This escalation follows a suicide attack at a defense facility near Ankara that killed five people. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that militants had crossed from Syria to carry out the attack, pledging to intensify operations against Kurdish forces.

In retaliation, Turkish airstrikes have targeted multiple locations linked to Kurdish militias in Iraqi Kurdistan (Bashur) and Syrian Kurdistan (Rohava) since the incident.

General Mazloum Abdi, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) top commander, categorically denied these claims, saying an internal investigation confirmed that the perpetrators did not enter Turkey from Syrian territory.

The SDF, heavily supported by the U.S. in its past fight against ISIS, is composed primarily of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). However, Turkey views the YPG as a branch of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which claimed responsibility for the Ankara attack.

Abdi emphasized that the SDF’s focus remains on defending Syrian territories rather than involvement in attacks abroad. From his base in Hasaka, a Kurdish-controlled city in Syrian Kurdistan, he reiterated the SDF’s stance against interference in Turkey, stressing, “Our battlefields are within Syria.”

Since Wednesday, Turkish strikes have reportedly claimed the lives of 15 civilians and two fighters in Kurdish-held areas, according to local sources.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that more than 100 Turkish drone and airstrikes have hit targets, including bakeries, grain silos, and power stations, impacting both military and civilian structures.

Abdi argued these attacks are less about direct retaliation and more about disrupting the Kurdish autonomous administration in Syria, intending to destabilize the region and pressure its population to leave.

Abdi expressed a desire for de-escalation through dialogue but insisted Turkish offensives must end to allow peace talks to proceed. “We are open to resolving issues diplomatically but cannot negotiate while under attack,” he said.

This latest wave of Turkish military actions is seen as part of a broader campaign stretching back to 2016, during which Turkey and allied factions seized several Kurdish regions through successive cross-border incursions. Turkish forces currently control portions of northeastern Syria after these campaigns.

Abdi voiced frustration with the U.S., whose coalition forces remain present in the area but have done little to curb Turkey’s military actions.

The SDF commander described the American response as “weak,” urging Washington to apply pressure on Turkey to halt the airstrikes, which he claimed could impact U.S. troops stationed in the region as well.

With the upcoming U.S. presidential election on November 5, 2024, Abdi expressed concern about potential changes in U.S. policy, noting that former President Donald Trump had ordered troop withdrawals from Kurdish areas in 2019, enabling Turkey to launch further offensives.

“We faced challenges with the Trump administration, but we hope U.S. decisions will continue to reflect strategic stability in the region,” Abdi added.

The Kurdish-led forces, backed by U.S. arms and funding, played a decisive role in defeating ISIS in Syria. By 2019, they had driven ISIS from its final stronghold, capturing the village of Baghouz, while detaining thousands of ISIS members in Kurdish-controlled prisons.

However, despite their pivotal role in the fight against ISIS, Kurdish forces now face renewed threats as Turkey intensifies its strikes, using the global focus on other Middle Eastern conflicts to expand operations against Kurdish areas in Syria.

The situation remains tense, with Kurdish leadership calling for international intervention to prevent further destabilization and protect Kurdish-administered regions. For now, the region awaits potential diplomatic efforts to counter Turkey’s escalating military campaign in Syria.

In 2013, the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) established three autonomous Kurdish regions, known as the cantons of Jazeera, Kobani, and Afrin, effectively creating a Kurdish governing structure across Syrian Kurdistan.

On March 17, 2016, Kurdish and Arab leadership announced the formation of a “federal region” incorporating these cantons. In early 2018, Turkey launched an operation targeting the YPG in Afrin, ultimately pushing Kurdish forces out of the Kurdish city.

By September 6, 2018, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was formally declared in Ain Issa, introducing a model of democratic confederalism that governs Kurdish-administered municipalities and regions across northeastern Syria.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)