WASHINGTON, D.C. — The ultimate decision of whether or not Kurds should be allowed to establish their own region in northern Syria lies with the Syrian people, according to the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
Kurds will combine three Kurdish-led autonomous areas in northern Syria into a federal system, Kurdish officials have announced.
A militant group linked to the communist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the United States considers a terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for carrying out the suicide car-bomb attack that killed 37 people in the Turkish capital.
The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which controls large swaths of northern Syria, must refrain from supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey, warned U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Most reporting on the Syrian Kurds depicts them as fairly unified behind their Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia against the menace of the Islamic State. In truth, there are Kurdish opposition parties, and they have been complaining about the PYD using heavy-handed tactics to suppress them.
The Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and rebel opposition forces are reportedly fighting each other in the small Syrian town of Marea, north of Aleppo.
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a separatist terrorist group that primarily operates in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey, said it carried out the successful car bomb attack on the Turkish capital, Ankara, that killed 28 people Wednesday.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan unleashed a furious rant against the United States on Wednesday, holding America responsible for the “sea of blood” spilled in Syria, and supporting other terrorist organizations while it focused too intently on defeating the Islamic State.
Turkey summoned the American ambassador a day after the U.S. Department of State indicated that Washington does not recognize the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) that controls large swathes of northern Syria as terrorists.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Russia sent weapons to the Iraqi Kurds to fight against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
An AFP-Reuters report on Tuesday highlighted the difficulty of getting Syria’s many warring factions together for U.N.-brokered peace talks, as many of the parties involved consider the presence of other parties to be non-starters. Turkey, for example, has announced that it strongly opposes participation by Kurdish groups.
The White House had stern words for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) this week following the dramatic crackdown on a media conglomerate that temporarily shut down two newspapers and two television stations just days before the November 1 election.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told the Syrian Kurdish PYD forces, who have worked with the United States in the past, “Pull yourself together” and keep east of the Euphrates River–or face military attack by Turkish forces.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has responded to accusations that his party has not made enough of an effort to eradicate the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) from Turkey by asking of his detractors, “Look at me, look at my face. Do I have the face of someone who would support ISIL?”
The United States is currently unsure if Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) fighters, who have reportedly received nearly 50 tons of ammunition funded by American taxpayers, will participate in the U.S. operation to retake Raqqa, the de facto Syrian capital of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), according to the Pentagon.
Turkey has grown increasingly vocal, and even belligerent, in criticizing the Kurds and U.S. military support for their cause in Syria and Iraq. The situation took a disturbing turn when Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu threatened to attack Kurdish fighters in Syria, if they are found to be passing American weapons back to Kurdish insurgents in Syria.
Russia’s military excursion into Syria has driven estranged partners Turkey and the European Union to try to make amends, further isolating the Syrian Kurds, reports Rudaw, citing analysts.
Contents: Syria’s Bashar al-Assad admits that regime army is in decline; Al-Assad announces general amnesty for Syria’s army deserters; Turkey invokes Nato article 4 with ‘territorial integrity and security’ threatened
Contents: Thousands of pro-Kurd demonstrators march in Paris; Turkey – PKK ‘peace process’ threatened by new Turkish war policy; Turkey bombs ISIS targets in northern Syria to set up ‘safe zone’; Arab News: Turkey is lying about the attack in Suruç
Turkey plans to deploy its army into northern Syria in an effort to prevent Kurds there from officially establishing their own state, reports The Daily Beast, citing both pro- and anti-government news outlets.
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