Syrian Kurdish commander wants peace with Turkey, but will 'fully' resist attack
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian Democratic Forces head Mazlum Kobane said he expects a Turkish attack in February, and warned Ankara should not punish Syria’s Kurds over its own failure to resolve its own domestic issues.
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Turkey has renewed threats to launch another ground offensive in northeast Syria.
Speaking to reporters on Jan. 14, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said a new operation against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was possible “any time.” Turkey has mounted three major attacks against the Kurdish-led force since 2016 on the grounds that it is closely linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants that are at war with Turkey. Turkey wants to establish a “security belt” 30 kilometers (18 miles) deep along its 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria.