Syria | The Kurdish organization demands that Russia prevent Turkey’s ground attack on Kurdish areas

Syria the Kurdish fighting organization SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) appeals to Russia to influence Turkey to refrain from attacking Kurdish areas in Syria.

For more than a week, Turkey has carried out airstrikes in semi-autonomous Kurdish regions in northern Syria and Iraq. It has threatened a ground attack on Kurdish areas. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that the attack would begin “at the most opportune moment”.

Turkey blames Kurdish organizations such as the YPG for a terrorist attack in central Istanbul on November 13 that killed six people. Kurdish organizations and authorities have denied their involvement.

SDF fighters also include Arabs and other nationalities, but it is led by the YPG. In practice, the SDF acts as the armed forces of the Kurdish regions of northeastern Syria.

of the SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said on Tuesday that he appealed to Russia to prevent the situation from escalating.

“The Turks are talking about an attack and preparing for it. For us, it’s a fight for survival,” Abdi said, according to the Reuters news agency.

Over the weekend, Abdi met with the commander of the Russian forces in Syria. He demands that the parties respect the agreement negotiated by Russia in 2019, on the basis of which Syrian troops were deployed on the border and Turkey stopped its offensive in the Kurdish areas.

Mixed Russia and the United States have demanded that the situation be calmed down. Abdi has previously accused the US of weakness and now called on all parties to work more vigorously to calm the situation.

Russia is an ally of Syria. The US supports the SDF, an important ally in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

The Kurds practically control a large area in northeastern Syria, although Syria does not recognize it. Turkey has demanded a 30-kilometer “security zone” in the area to secure its southern border.

Abdi said on Tuesday that the SDF “is forced to expand the war” to Turkey’s southern border.

Turkey the latest airstrikes have killed at least 75 people, most of them SDF fighters. Among the victims are also Syrian soldiers and civilians, the independent Syrian Observatory of Human Rights says.