KURDISH LEADERS CALL ON CIVILIANS TO DEFEND AFRIN
Turkish ground and air assault extends into fourth day as Ankara demands end to US support for militia defending besieged enclave
Syrian Kurdish leaders yesterday called on civilians to take up arms to defend the Afrin enclave against a Turkish assault that is now in its fourth day.
“We announce a general mobilisation and we invite our people to defend Afrin,” the Kurdish enclave’s autonomous administration said.
Its spokesman, Rezan Hedo, said: “It is an invitation for all Kurds in Syria to take up arms.”
Earlier that day, Turkey demanded an end to America’s alliance with the YPG, the Syrian Kurdish militia fighting to defend Afrin.
The announcement by Ibrahim Kalin, Turkey’s presidential spokesman, came days after president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Trump government stepped up their war of words as Turkish tanks, reinforced by air strikes, pressed on with their offensive against US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters.
Mr Erdogan warned that US weapons shipments to Kurdish forces in Syria would ultimately be turned against his country.
“They refused to give arms to us with money but they are giving weapons to the terrorist organisation free of charge. Why are we strategic partners? Why are we strategic allies?” said Mr Erdogan, referring to the YPG as a terrorist organisation.
“One must be a fool not to understand that this treacherous project’s target is Turkey,” he said.
US Vice President Mike Pence during his trip to Israel affirmed that his country will continue its efforts against ISIL until the group is “driven to extinction”.
“We recognise Turkey as a Nato ally, they have a right to protect their border, and the presence of Kurdish forces along the Turkish border has precipitated this response from Turkey,” he said. “But our message has been that we want to see Turkey and Kurdish forces de-escalate. We want to see dialogue to resolve the differences.”
Four days of fighting since Turkey launched an offensive on Afrin have left at least 54 Syrian fighters dead. Among them were 26 Kurdish members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Turkish military announced its first fatality – a soldier killed in a cross-border raid.
The violence in Afrin disrupts “a relatively stable area of Syria” and “distracts from international efforts to ensure the lasting defeat” of ISIL, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
France’s UN ambassador said he has told the Security Council that Syria is at “a crossroads,” with the worst scenario leading to fragmentation and ethnic cleansing and the best scenario leading to peace.
Ambassador Francois Delattre said after closed briefings to the council on Monday by the UN humanitarian and political chiefs that Turkey’s offensive in Afrin is just “part of the equation”.
Turkey launched air strikes in northern Iraq on Kurdish militants planning an attack, the army said yesterday.
The strikes took place on Monday and the army said it was targeting members of the “separatist terrorist organisation” – Turkey’s official term for the outlawed YPG-linked Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The militants were planning an attack on border security posts and bases, the military claimed, adding that the strikes destroyed weapons emplacements and shelters.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, police arrested 42 people including a pro-Kurdish politician for “spreading terrorist propaganda” on social media about Turkey’s military operation.
The police raids, which staterun Anadolu news agency said were focused on the western province of Izmir, brought the number of such detentions to around 70 since Operation Olive Branch was launched at the weekend.
Journalists crossing into Turkey from Iraq this week said Turkish authorities have increased their security measures, including long interrogations and mobile and laptop inspection. Individuals were questioned on whether they had ties to the PKK.