Syrian Kurds reject claims of receiving drones from Iran

QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan,— The U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied claims made by Turkish media on Tuesday that they had received drones from Iran. The SDF insisted that their drones are made locally.

In a statement, the SDF dismissed the allegations, calling them a fabrication intended to sow discord. “These news are entirely false and blatantly fabricated by the Turkish media. These reports, which suggest an alleged deal between our forces and Iran involving 1,500 drones, are completely false and manufactured by the Turkish media,” the statement read.

The group accused Turkey of spreading these claims to harm the reputation of the SDF and their supporters.

The accusations came from a report published Sunday in Yeni Şafak, a Turkish newspaper known for its pro-government stance. According to the report, Iranian and Syrian Kurdish representatives supposedly met in a market in Iraq to discuss an agreement in which Iran would send 2,000 drones to the SDF. The report claimed that Turkey intervened to block the deal.

However, the SDF countered that they possess the expertise to develop their own military capabilities. “Our fighters, with their extensive experience in fighting ISIS, have worked in recent years to enhance our military abilities, including the development of drones,” the statement added. The SDF emphasized that their drones are entirely the result of local efforts in North and East Syria.

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), along with its military wing YPG/YPJ, has long been one of the most effective forces fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. Supported by the U.S., the YPG is the core of the SDF, which functions as the de facto military of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria, also known as Rojava. The Kurdish fighters have seized large areas of Syria from ISIS.

The Kurdish forces in northern Syria are facing increasing pressure from Turkey, which views the SDF as closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group responsible for a decades-long insurgency within Turkey.

Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist militants have also intensified their attacks on Kurdish-held areas, capturing key towns such as Tel Rifaat and Manbij in late November.

Tensions have escalated near the strategic Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq Bridge on the Euphrates River, critical locations that lead to the symbolic Kurdish city of Kobane, located near the Turkish border.

The SDF has denied any links to the PKK, calling the accusations false. They say Turkey is using these claims as an excuse to expand its military presence and take control of more areas in Syria’s Kurdish region, following its occupation of the Kurdish Afrin region since 2018.