SDF Stuck Between Turkish Operation and Blackmail of the Regime

Tuesday July 19th, 2022 by AL-MODON (Lebanese website)          

The regime is taking advantage of the SDF's position to get more and more concessions, according to al-Modon.

(AL-MODON)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are increasingly suffocated between Turkey’s tight grip and the Syrian regime’s pressure. Turkey has the opportunity to start its military operation against SDF, and the regime is pressing for additional gains in the event of U.S. indifference. 

The regime’s military columns sent into northwest and eastern Syria to repel a seemingly imminent Turkish invasion reflect the narrowness of the maneuver against SDF– which finds itself obliged to make concessions to the regime. 

According to information obtained by Al-Modon from confidential sources, SDF has provided guarantees of openness to the dialogue held by the Autonomous Administration with the Syrian regime. This comes in exchange for the increased deployment of the regime’s forces in areas threatened by Turkish aggression, particularly in Tel Rifaat and Manbij.   

Read Also: Americans Warn SDF of Rapprochement with Damascus, Abdi Claims Battle Concerns All Syrians

In terms of direct concessions, the regime demanded full control of the M4 road, which is between Hassakeh and Aleppo through the Raqqa countryside. SDF did not oppose this, the sources said. 

When asked about the nature of the agreement that the SDF had with the regime, Riad Darar, joint president of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC ) said: “This is not an agreement, and what is going on is a continuation of the agreement that took place with the regime after Turkey’s occupation of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad in 2019.” 

He added to al-Modon, that defending Syria’s borders is the army’s job, and SDF always says that it will be within the Syrian army after the settlement (…) We are working together to face the Turkish occupation. 

Avoid taking chances with Afrin 

“We don’t want to take our chances with Afrin when the Syrian army’s call to defend Afrin was delayed. We now hold the army responsible, if it resists, this is its duty and that’s what we want. If it withdraws, history is recorded,” Darar said. 

“The army’s approach will be the beginning of a factor of confidence that determines the path to a political solution, and makes understanding about it better than the current tensions and accusations,” he said.  

“By the way, we had addressed all the opposition and factions earlier. We invited them to confront the tyrannical regime together, but they were not discussing common Syrian issues. Their speech was accusations against us, similar to those of Turkey,” he said. 

Fall of SDF 

Columnist Abdel Nasser al-Ayed wrote an article entitled Fall of SDF, in which he said that the Leaders of SDF believed that the threat to ISIS would work indefinitely. They did not learn from the Afghan lesson as Washington handed over the whole of Afghanistan, in one night, to the Taliban. 

He added that SDF’s leaders chose to pay the PKK bill in Turkey, in Syria, without receiving anything in exchange. 

On the other hand, they chose to avoid the forces of the Syrian revolution, did not seek any seriousness to take advantage of their political, moral and human balance, and built high walls of isolation around themselves in the valleys of northeastern Syria. This separated their presence from the main current of events under the illusion of independence.