Syria rebel forces set to link up for Aleppo
Turkish intervention brings groups to within 30km of each other, but battle against Kurds may prove a distraction
GAZIANTEP, TURKEY // Syrian rebels near the border town of Jarabulus were last night only 30 kilometres from linking up with those on the border north of Aleppo, largely because of the Turkish intervention.
Various rebel factions said that less than a week after Ankara launched its ground and air offensive, they were close to clearing ISIL from its last stronghold on the Turkish border.
But rebel forces and Turkish aircraft and artillery have turned to another target – US- allied Kurdish forces that have fought ISIL from the start and have recently battled the Syrian regime. Ankara considers the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its YPG militia to be arms of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that is in the middle of a bloody insurgency against the state in eastern Turkey.
Rebel leaders accuse the Kurdish fighters of stealing Arab land in Syria, and compare their motives to those of ISIL.
“The PYD is like ISIL but the PYD tries to have legitimacy by fighting ISIL,” said Yasser Al Youssef, a spokesman for the political office of Harakat Nour Al Dine Al Zinki, one of the rebel groups involved in the Jarabulus offensive. “The project of the revolution and the project of the PYD are opposites and against each other.” A commander of Faylaq Al Sham, Maj Yasser Abdul Rahim, also equated the Kurdish group with ISIL, saying in Jarabulus that his mission was to “clear the area of ISIL and the terrorist PYD and YPG extremist groups”.
Turkey has repeatedly demanded that the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition dominated by the YPG, withdraw to east of the Euphrates River, this time backing up its ultimatum with air and artillery strikes.
Yesterday, US Central Command spokesman Col John Thomas said Turkish and Kurdish forces in the area had come to a “loose agreement” to stop fighting. Centcom commander, Gen Joseph Votel, meanwhile, said Kurdish forces in the SDF had “for the most part” moved east of the Euphrates.
But despite these reports, Turkey’s pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper said yesterday that Ankara had again vowed to hit Kurdish forces if they did not withdraw immediately.
Yet even if the SDF willingly withdraws east of the river, or is forced to do so, the renewed conflict between rebels and Kurdish forces may not be over.
“If those units respect the demographics of Syrian lands and join a unified Syria, we will stop the conflict,” said Maj Abdul Rahim. “But if they do not respect the demographics of Syria and just want to divide Syria and steal the fortunes of Syria – like oil – that means they are still a terrorist organisation and we will continue fighting them.”
In launching Operation Euphrates Shield, Turkey said it had the backing and cooperation of the US- led anti- ISIL coalition, despite Ankara also saying it intended to clear the border area of Kurdish forces.
The US asked SDF forces in the area to comply with Turkey’s demands and withdraw east of the Euphrates, but as Turkey targeted Kurdish forces with air strikes and clashes between the SDF and rebels intensified, the US backed away, calling the situation “unacceptable” and stressing that it was not participating in the Turkish action against the SDF.
Like other rebel leaders, Col Abdul Jabbar Akaidi, formerly the head of the Aleppo military revolutionary council, claimed the recent fighting started after Kurdish forces attacked rebels.
Col Akaidi said his forces wanted to fight only Syrian president Bashar Al Assad and ISIL.
“If the YPG is allied with ISIL indirectly to fight us, we must fight both,” he said.
But Col Akaidi was confident rebels would stop their offensive against the SDF if the coalition crossed the Euphrates.
How far Turkey is willing to go in its support of allied Syrian rebels is unclear. Rebel representatives downplayed the extent of Turkey’s contribution of ground forces, saying the relatively few tanks Turkey supplied had stayed close to the border. However, by giving rebels air cover and artillery strikes, and letting their units transit through Turkey to blindside ISIL forces in Jarabulus, Ankara is allowing them to make advances that would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, without its help.
“It’s possible to succeed without Turkish support,” said Col Mohammed Ahmed, from Jabhat Shamiya, another faction in the offensive. “But this support makes it faster.” Col Ahmed said he expected the area west of the Euphrates to be cleared of ISIL and YPG forces within the next three weeks.
While thankful for Ankara’s support, there is a feeling in rebel ranks that Turkey has limited its goals to securing its border and will not want to get more involved in the war in Syria. On Monday, Turkish deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said Ankara had not entered Syria’s war and that its presence was temporary.
But last week, prime minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey would remain in the country as long as it took to clear the border of ISIL “and other terrorist elements”.
International pressure could also limit Turkey’s involvement and rebel gains. The US and Russia, already critical of Turkey’s actions, could decide they have had enough of watching their Kurdish allies get knocked about by Turkish air strikes.
And if the offensive eventually helps rebels closer to Aleppo, Russian tolerance for Turkey’s moves could erode when territory more important to the Syrian government is under threat.
If the YPG is allied with ISIL indirectly to fight us, we must fight both Col Abdul Jabbar Akaidi former head of the Aleppo military revolutionary council