Syrian Kurds officially calls on Syrian army to protect Afrin

"We call upon the Syrian state to protect its borders with Turkey from attacks by the Turkish occupier, and the deployment of its Syrian armed forces to secure borders of the Afrin region," the statement said
Thursday, 25 January 2018 21:35

Kurdish authorities in Syria's Afrin district called on Thursday for the Syrian government to send troops to help defend them from Turkish assault, turning for help to the very government from which they have sought autonomy.

"We affirm that we will continue to defend Afrin region in the face of the outraged foreign attacks and we will confort the attempts of the Turkish occupation of Afrin. We call upon the Syrian state to carry out its sovereign duties towards Afrin and protect its borders with Turkey from attacks by the Turkish occupier, and the deployment of its Syrian armed forces to secure borders of the Afrin region," the statement obtained by the Syriana Analysis. 

The Syrian government has strongly condemned Turkish AKP government's actions, saying they represent a violation of Syria’s sovereignty. Damascus had warned AKP government against launching a military operation in Syria's northwestern region of Afrin and said that Syrian air defences stood ready to defend against such an attack.

Syrian Kurdish officials had said that in two meetings days before the offensive, Russian officials asked the Syrian Kurdish YPG militant to cooperate by delivering Afrin to the Syrian government. However, the government rejected the proposal after the PYD refused to allow Syrian security forces inside Afrin.

Syrian Kurdish groups have been the main partner on the ground for the United States. The PYD has established autonomous rule in territory its allied YPG militant control, and says it wants a federal model for Syria. They hope for a new phase of negotiations to shore up their autonomy in northern Syria.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States is trying to persuade the Kurds not to engage in dialogue with the Syrian government, encourage separatist sentiment among them. 

In November, PYD, welcomed a longer-term role for U.S. forces in Syria, saying the Americans should continue to play a role until a political solution to the Syrian crisis.