Ilham Ahmed: Despite massacres, we still support dialogue; ceasefire is a basic condition

Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Office of the Autonomous Administration, emphasized that the attacks on the Sheikh Maqsood and Al-Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo pose a significant danger to Syria and the region. She stressed that the Autonomous Administration and its forces remain committed to dialogue and negotiations despite the massacres and violations targeting civilians, out of concern for protecting the communities and preventing Syria from sliding into further foreign interventions.

She stated that the ongoing events in Syria represent a serious risk to the country and the region, potentially increasing foreign interventions and possibly allowing the export of “terrorism” outside Syria once again.

At a press conference, Ahmed pointed out that the Interim Government bears the greatest responsibility for failing to implement the March 10 agreement.

She added that recent events in Al-Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsood began with a media campaign against these neighborhoods. She explained that the Interim Government mercenaries had been targeting these Aleppo neighborhoods for months, creating a crisis.

Ahmed stated that "the Ministry of Defense officially announced a military operation against the Sheikh Maqsood and Al-Ashrafieh neighborhoods," noting that "the SDF had withdrawn from these neighborhoods under the April 1 agreement, but the government portrayed the SDF as still present and launched a violent attack involving about 80 tanks."

She revealed that approximately 48 people lost their lives in these attacks, while 118 others were injured, and the fate of dozens remains unknown.

Ahmed added that "the attacking factions committed horrific violations in Aleppo," explaining that mercenaries from ISIS, Uyghur fighters, Turkish groups, and other foreign mercenaries participated in the assault on Sheikh Maqsood and Al-Ashrafieh.

On another note, she said that "one of the conditions for lifting U.S. and Western sanctions on Syria was to protect communities and remove foreign fighters, but the government has done the opposite, attacking Alawites, Druze, Christians, and now Kurds."

She called on the U.S. government to clarify its stance regarding the Interim Government, which is committing massacres against the Kurds. She noted that the Kurds have caused no harm to the Interim Government or any other party, other than protecting the region from ISIS.

Ahmed affirmed that they remain committed to dialogue and continuing negotiations, provided that the attacks stop and the protection of Kurds in Aleppo and Afrin is guaranteed.

ANHA