​​​​​​​Abdi: Turkey's occupation of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî contributes in reviving ISIS

Abdi called, during an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the Biden administration, to adopt a new strategy to activate America's role and put an end to the Syrian Holocaust, referring to his meetings with officials from the US-led Global Coalition to fight ISIS, which revealed a tendency to expand its operations against terrorism.

The text of the interview read:

Does the SDF still pursue ISIS cells east of the Euphrates?

After the geographical elimination of "ISIS" in Al-Baghouz, there was a need to uproot its sleeper cells from its popular incubator, depending on the generalized violence and terrorism, so we decided on as the "SDF", and after the terrorist operations that took place in several regions to start, in coordination with the Global Coalition to Fight Terrorism, a campaign to strike those cells, and achieved some desired results and the campaign is still continuing.

However, what we noticed is that cells activated following Turkey's occupation of the areas of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad in northeast Syria, and we arrested some of the elements that came from the occupied areas by Turkey.

Do ISIS cells still exist and the operations against it, continues?

- The operation is not over yet, and it goes on, and on the contrary, there is a need to intensify the operations, especially after the organization’s operations extended to the Syrian Badia and its attempts to extend to under-our-forces, as the threats still exist, and this is our vision and the GCFT as well. Our efforts are based in this period is on expanding and diversifying the operations against cells.

Is everything goes in coordination with the GCFT?

It can be said that coordination is good today, and it has not undergone any change with the new US administration, and depending on our meetings with officials from the Coalition; There is an intention to expand operations against terrorism, especially after the organization’s threats to destabilize separate regions and many countries.

There has been an escalation in the ISIS attacks east of the Euphrates and other areas, and terrorist bombings, what is the reason?

There are two reasons: First, as we said earlier, the Turkish occupation of the areas of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad contributed to the revival of the organization, supported by the Turkish occupation forces, and we have confirmed information that the elements that fled from NE Syria and headed to the occupied areas by Turkey, such as Afrin. Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab, Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, and they regrouped under the so-called "Syrian National Army". Turkey supported them logistically, and facilitated access to our areas to carry out killing and bombing operations, most importantly, the civilians.

The second reason; Our preoccupation with resisting the Turkish occupation that targets our regions every day has provided an opportunity for the organization to carry out some operations, and other parties are seeking to invest in the organization's operations, seeking to weaken the "SDF" and the Autonomous Administration, and helped them to strong-arm us.

We will talk about the Turkish presence later, but there are those who say that there Arabs are marginalized east of the Euphrates.

This is not true. On the contrary, the Arab component make up the vast majority within the Syrian Democratic Forces, a large number of them, and other components carry great responsibilities within the democratic administration in harmony and stability, while preserving its national and cultural peculiarities, in a manner that achieves harmony and societal cohesion.

There are those who say that you accuse any opponent of being ISIS?

Regarding the opponents, whom we accuse of being "ISIS", I believe that the lived facts on the ground refute these allegations. The freedom in Rojava, NE Syria allows all political trends, even opposition to the administration, to express themselves, and it is guaranteed within the legitimate protest rights, within the laws and legislation That it enacted and legalized. And if you monitor the events closely; There are some parties that criticize the administration, and we do not close the door to the opponent opinions, because the administration is participatory and echoes all the colors in the region.

Attacks have escalated in the Syrian Badia. Is there any coordination with the Syrian government or Russia west of the Euphrates?

No, there is no cooperation between us in this regard, why?

Firstly, the geographical nature. Second, this is the most important, that any cooperation in this regard requires a holistic agreement on other files; we believe that it is a priority, before talking about military coordination, and this does not exist yet.

How do you view the US presence now?

We believe that the American presence, within the perspective of the war against terrorism, contributes to restoring stability to Syria in general, just as the United States is superpower with major and essential role in solving the Syrian crisis, and its role cannot be marginalized.

American officials say two things: Our presence is not lasting in Syria, but it will be there until the complete defeat of ISIS, have you been reported about that?

We did not hold such discussions, but we are convinced that the American presence in Syria is based on two factors: the first is the elimination of terrorism and stabilizing NE Syria, the second is related to resolving the Syrian crisis in accordance with UN resolutions, and then participating in the reconstruction of Syria.

- The Americans are present on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi borders, is there coordination?

The tasks of the Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria are not linked to each other, despite the presence of coordination in some security files related to ISIS movements on both sides of the border, but in general the coalition coordinates with the Iraqi army and the leadership of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, while it coordinates with our forces in Syria, and there is no contradiction.

- In October 2019, the Americans withdrew from some areas east of the Euphrates, did this affect your forces?

The outgoing US administration made a big mistake by withdrawing from the areas of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, and let us be more clear. Former President Donald Trump green lighted Erdogan across-the-border incursion in those areas, and there is no doubt that it affected the effectiveness of our forces in fighting terrorism. The decision to reflected negatively on the United States' strategy in Syria and the ME region in general.

So, what do you expect from President Joe Biden's administration?

We believe that the administration of the new president Biden, will work to correct the mistakes of the previous Trump administration, including how to deal with the Syrian crisis, and most of the policies that negatively affected the American role in Syria, which - that is, the new US administration - are called upon to follow a new strategy would re-activate the American role in pushing for an end to the Syrian Holocaust.

Some say that the Biden team is more sympathetic to your demands. What are your expectations?

The United States has interests in Syria and the region, and we intersect with it on important issues as well, including the fight against terrorism, but a long-term strategy that does not change with the change of administrations, some slight changes occur that would cause a change in some tasks, goals and policies, it can be said in this regard ; The vision of the new administration has not yet crystallized, despite some positive signs on the new and encouraging approaches from our forces and the AA.

In the east of the Euphrates, there are : Russian-Turkish, American-Turkish, and an agreement between Damascus and the SDF, how is the situation amid all these agreements?

- We are the ones who maintain the state of balance in the region, through our dealing with all parties, so there is no contradiction between them, and for every area of ​​influence and action, the Russian and regime forces, entered our regions according to a memorandum of understanding and Russia signed the October 23 agreement in 2019 with Turkey, and asks it to maintain a state of ceasefire between our forces and the Turkish forces, as well as the US-led Coaliton as for the regime forces; It is entrusted with protecting the Syrian borders, consistent with its role in preserving the sovereignty of the Syrian state.

What about the "Spring of Peace", have you fulfilled what is required from you?

The so-called "Spring of Peace" area, are 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 region, and we look down on these names and do not recognize them except as they were in the past.

 For our part, we are committed to what falls on our shoulders according to the terms of the agreement that former US Vice President Mike Pence signed with Erdogan, and the agreement that Putin-Erdogan one, 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 there are Syrian border guards, but the Turkish side has not abided by it, rather it is always trying to expand its occupation territory, and the two countries that sponsor the two agreements are morally obligated to pressure Turkey to abide by the two agreements.

Do you mean that Turkey does not abide by it?

As I said, Turkey has not implemented any of the two agreements, and the targeting of our forces and civilians in Ain Issa, Tal Tamr, and Kobane (Ain al-Arab), reveals the Turkish state's intentions to destabilize our regions.

So, how do you see that Russia and Turkey are patrolling near Kobane, and there is a Russian-Turkish understanding in Afrin?

The joint Russian-Turkish patrols in the countryside of Kobane, is part of the terms of the Moscow agreement, and it came in the context of imposing a kind of ceasefire between us and Turkey, following its occupation of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. Similar events happen in history, in terms of its horror and atrocity, and the first and last official is the Turkish occupation, and Russia bears part of the responsibility for not deterring the Turkish occupation's crimes or limiting them. The Turkish occupation imposes a tight iron cordon on Afrin and does not allow even international human rights and humanitarian organizations as well as the mass media in exposing these crimes, and here we call on Russia to bear its moral responsibilities in ending Turkey's occupation of Afrin.

- The Russian army has recently reached to Derek, and there are American forces. What is your explanation?

As mentioned before, the Russian military police are patrolling along the borders as previously agreed upon on October 23, 2019.

But, we have seen skirmishes between the two sides, how do you coordinate that?

We always stress the two sides to focus on building stability and combating ISIS terrorism.

Is Russia coordinating with you, especially since there is a large Russian base in Qamishli and the centers east of the Euphrates?

Yes, all its movements are carried out according to a mechanism agreed upon between us.

Who is your ally: Russia or America?

We do not oppose any of the two parties, and we establish our relations with them according to the interests of our people, and in line with their aspirations for freedom and dignity on their land, and to achieve security and stability for them.

Where did the results of the Arrangement of the Kurdish House Initiatives reach?

We have come a good way in the dialogue that we launched, the most important issue that we have achieved in the past period, restoring confidence, and we have also completed the political reference memo, which is the basis for any subsequent agreement, and other contentious issues remain secondary, which will be agreed upon in the next round of dialogue, which will be set off soon.

Are the SDF ready to meet the military demands and accept the other factions?

Our doors are open to all the forces that believe in the "Syrian Democratic Forces" charter and objectives, and abide by their internal system, and have no goals that contradict the principles of brotherhood and coexistence, and to defend our regions against all the forces that seek to undermine them.

- You are criticized for links with the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, what is your response?

The PKK is a brother Kurdish party, and we have relations with it just as the Kurdish parties in the Southern Kurdistan region, and we are not linked with it as an organization. We adopt the idea and project of the democratic nation put forward by Mr. Ocalan.

- What is the story of your siege of the security square in Hasaka? Is it true that the other side is besieging you in Aleppo? why is that?

We have not imposed any siege on the city of Hasakah, and the movement has never stopped, while the regime forces are imposing an unjust siege on al-Shahba areas where Afrin's displaced are present, as well as on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo, where it is forbidden to enter any supplies, and the government checkpoints deployed there are limiting their movement, and this matter happened after their bets on the fall of Ain Issa failed.

But I think that the reason is due to the exclusionary mentality of the regime, which seeks to return the country to before 2011, as the provocations and tensions it creates in Hasakah and Qamishli, and its attempt to create Arab-Kurdish discord, is nothing but pressure on "self-management" and turning back the clock, we On our part, we are trying to calm things down and not be dragged behind the discord that the regime is seeking to inflame, and we seek to open a serious dialogue on crucial issues, and we do not push matters towards escalation.

Previously, dialogue sessions with Damascus took place, is the dialogue ongoing or frozen?

The dialogue stopped as a result of the regime's rigid mentality, and a few days ago, a delegation from the "Syrian Democratic Council" was in Damascus, but it returned empty-handed. The regime rejects all solutions and initiatives that would reach a solution to the Syrian crisis by political means, and we are convinced that this obstinacy will not work.

- But there are military understandings with Damascus. Can it be said that the military understanding exists, and the political is postponed?

Military understandings are subject to understandings with the Russian side as a guarantor of them, but they did not develop into expanded agreements, due to the regime's evasion of its obligations and its failure to accept any concessions that contribute to instilling confidence between us, and what paves the way for the transition from military understandings to launching a serious national political dialogue, and we are certain that any A military understanding, if not coupled with a political understanding, may not last for long, and this is what we never hope for.

In the larger picture, there is talk about a Syrian military council. Are the SDF ready to participate in a joint council that includes the regime, you and the opposition?

As I said above, we are not opposed to participating in any national Syrian military structure or body that achieves the Syrian national goals, in restoring security and stability to the country, and preserving our privacy in the Syrian Democratic Forces, and that the new council - as you called it - is not of a national character. Or religious or sectarian, but believes in defending the homeland, and is not subject to the agendas of external parties.

- Is this possible?

Yes, it is possible, if there is will, determination and sincere intentions.

(A)

ANHA