The Syrian Democratic Forces deny there being any initiatives from Russia or the USA to convey calm to the Syrian north.
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US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militants are seen in Deir Ezzor, Syria, Might 1, 2018
Cautious calm prevails within the areas beneath the US-backed so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a month into Turkey’s Operation Claw-Sword focusing on Kurdish Individuals’s Safety Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Employees’ Occasion (PKK) in each Iraq and Syria and the threats of a land offensive on the cities and bordering cities which can be beneath the management of the Kurdish forces.
“The Asayish forces that withdrew from the contact traces with the Turkish navy and that had been repeatedly shelled in the course of the previous few days have begun returning to their headquarters after SDF assured them that the Turkish forces have made a U-turn on launching the floor operation,” folks conversant in the matter advised Al Mayadeen.
“SDF knowledgeable its management that there have been no discussions relating to any worldwide occasion making peace initiatives like these Turkish media is reporting on, particularly these relating to the relocation of SDF’s forces,” the sources added. “The discussions with Russia didn’t contact on that matter both, and the information being revealed by Turkish media is fake. The scenario remains to be the identical because it has been because the Turkish invasion that kicked off in 2019.”
By way of these operations, Turkey goals to exert strain on each the USA and Russia to extract their approval to hold out a brand new navy operation in opposition to the SDF-controlled areas after the Kurdish occasion was accused by Ankara of being behind the bomb assault in Istiklal Road in Taksim Sq. in Istanbul.
Ankara can be making an attempt to make the most of the assault in Istanbul to hold out a floor operation in opposition to the SDF and to gnaw at extra areas beneath its management, amid preliminary indications of Turkish intentions to assault villages and cities in rural Manbij and Tal Rifaat.
“The joint operations between SDF and the worldwide coalition, which had beforehand stopped because of the developments on the borders, are actually again in full throttle,” SDF mentioned in its announcement, in response to the sources. The operations “will improve in dimension in the course of the coming days.”
In the meantime, SDF clarified that there have been no modifications on the bottom for the Syrian Arab Army with regard to the mobilization or the variety of border guards in japanese or northern Syria.
“The personnel that entered the world was to fill in a niche created by the direct Turkish bombardment of the Damascus authorities forces, which killed greater than 35 Syrian troopers,” the sources added.
It’s doubtless that SDF issued this assertion to try to uplift the spirits of its management and members, in addition to not directly sign that it acquired assurances from the USA that the latter would stop Turkey from attacking the cities and cities in northern Syria.
“The Syrian Arab Army deployed Division 25 all through the week in a number of areas within the SDF-controlled Aleppo countryside to pave the best way for a brand new settlement on the world,” others conversant in the matter advised Al Mayadeen.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Thursday to work with Syria and Russia within the combat in opposition to terrorism.
“Presently, we wish to take a step with Syria and Russia, as a trio. For this, first, our intelligence organizations ought to come collectively, then our protection ministers and, then our overseas ministers ought to meet,” Erdogan mentioned.
Erdogan divulged that in a phone dialog with Putin he provided to carry a gathering of leaders of Turkey, Russia, and Syria.
The Turkish President emphasised that the PKK, which Turkey considers a terrorist group, is lively in Syria, significantly in its northern areas, and warned that if nations just like the US proceed to ship “hundreds of truck-loads” of weapons, ammunition, instruments, and gear to terrorists in Syria, then Ankara will take issues into its personal fingers.
On Monday, Turkish Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusogly mentioned Ankara was able to cooperate with Damascus on counterterrorism and the repatriation of Syrian refugees if Syria acts “realistically”.
“We’re holding talks with the Syrian regime by means of intelligence channels,” Cavusoglu mentioned whereas talking earlier than parliament throughout a dialogue on the Overseas Ministry’s finances.
Turkish presidency spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin revealed earlier that there are periodic direct contacts between the Turkish intelligence companies and their Syrian counterparts for the sake of nationwide pursuits.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted in November at the potential for reconsidering relations with Damascus after the 2023 elections in Turkey.
Relating to a potential assembly with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad beneath Russian mediation, the Turkish President mentioned this matter may be evaluated when the time is correct, stating that there was no everlasting resentment or quarreling in politics.
In the meantime, Turkish Justice and Growth Occasion (AKP) member and former MP Orhan Miroğlu introduced earlier within the month that Damascus rejected Ankara’s request to rearrange a gathering between Presidents Erdogan and Al-Assad.
