afrinpost
In an interview with the London newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, published on Friday 5/2/2021, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, General Mazloum Abdi, expressed his hope that the new US President Joe Biden would correct the mistakes of President Donald Trump’s administration, including giving Turkey the green light to occupy areas in Northern and eastern Syria, where the Turkish occupation contributed to the revival of ISIS.
The leader of the “SDF” called on the Biden administration, to adopt a “new strategy” to activate the American role and put an end to the Syrian holocaust. He also called on Russia to shoulder its moral responsibilities in ending Turkey’s occupation of Afrin.
Abdi emphasized the independence of the Syrian Democratic Forces in its clear decisions and strategy of action, and only Syria is its arena of action, with the adoption of the democratic nation, and indicated the immunity from being drawn into discord and seeking dialogue on fateful issues, as well as continuing the Kurdish-Kurdish dialogue, and not opposing the participation in any Syrian body who maintains the characteristic of the SDF, provided it has no national, religious or sectarian character, or is subject to foreign parties.
Increase in terrorist activities
General Abdi said the increase in terrorist activities and attacks has two reasons: The Turkish occupation of the areas of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad contributed to the revival of ISIS, through the support it received from the Turkish occupation forces, indicating that its forces had confirmed information, proving that the elements that fled from northern and eastern Syria have reached the areas occupied by Turkey, such as Afrin, Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab, Ras al-Ain, and Tal Abyad, in which it reorganized its ranks within the ranks of the so-called “Syrian National Army”, and Turkey supported it militarily and logistically and facilitated access to our areas to carry out killing and bombing operations, most of which targeted civilians.
As for the second reason, he attributed it to his forces ’preoccupation with resisting the Turkish occupation that targets their areas every day, which provided the opportunity for ISIS to carry out some operations, and other parties are seeking to invest in the organization’s operations, seeking to weaken the“ Syrian Democratic Forces ”and the Autonomous Administration.
General Mazloum added that what is called the “Peace Spring” area is areas whose real name is “Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad,” but the Turkish occupation is trying to impose its occupational names on it, just as Afrin was also called the “Olive Branch” area, adding: “We do not consider these names have value and we only recognize them as they were in the past. On our part, we committed ourselves to what falls on our shoulders according to the terms of the agreement signed by former US Vice President Mike Pence with Erdogan, as well as the agreement that Putin signed with Erdogan, and we withdrew from those areas at a depth of 30 km, Provided that the other side also achieves a complete withdrawal from the region, and the Syrian border guards are deployed in it, but the Turkish side has not abided by it, but rather always tries to expand its occupation, and the two countries that sponsor the two agreements are morally obligated to pressure Turkey to implement the provisions of the two agreements.
The moral responsibility of the Russian guarantor is to end the occupation
With regard to the violations occurring in occupied Afrin, Abdi referred to the responsibility of the Russian guarantor, saying: “As for the violations committed in Afrin against Kurdish civilians among the indigenous population, the same may not have happened in history, in terms of its horror and heinousness, and the first and last responsibility is the Turkish occupation, and Russia bears it. Part of the responsibility for not deterring the Turkish occupation from committing these crimes or reducing them. And the Turkish occupation imposes an iron cordon on Afrin, and does not allow even international human rights and humanitarian organizations, as well as the media, to uncover these crimes. Here, we call on Russia to shoulder its moral responsibilities in ending Turkey’s occupation of Afrin.
