Euphrates Region Executive Council co-chair: Turkey preparing ground for new invasion

Euphrates Region Executive Council co-chair, Mihemed Şahin, said, in an interview with ANF, that the Turkish state turned to the Northern and Eastern Syria areas again in order to overcome the internal crisis and chaos it is experiencing.

The attacks of the Turkish state against the region have increased recently. They violate agreements that should be guaranteed by America and Russia. How do you evaluate these increasing attacks by the Turkish state?

The Turkish state has recently carried out two airstrikes against Kobanê. Two civilians and three SDF fighters who came to Kobanê for treatment fell martyrs in these attacks. This is not the first attack against Northern and Eastern Syria. As it is known, when the occupation of Girê Spî and Serêkaniyê was completed after Afrin, some agreements were made with the Turkish state. America and Russia were the guarantors of these agreements by which there would be no more military operations on Syrian territory.

The Turkish state was using the danger that the SDF and the Autonomous Administration would pose on its border as an excuse for their attacks. The SDF and the Autonomous Administration retreated 30 km to eliminate any excuse. Everyone sees that since the first day of the agreements, both land and air attacks have not stopped. People are losing their lives. Especially in these last few days, attacks have increased. The main reason for this is that the Turkish state is increasingly stuck in Syrian politics. In fact, the Turkish state is losing with this dirty policy. The AKP regime is experiencing a great crisis and chaos both inside and outside. It is not supported internationally as before and it is isolated in the Middle East. For this reason, it wants to get results in the political arena by creating  new pressure.

Why did the recent attacks intensify especially in Kobanê?

Kobanê is an international center. It has a spiritual and symbolic significance among the peoples of the world. The 19 July Revolution took place in Kobanê, the Democratic Nation project and the Autonomous Administration began in Kobanê, the beginning of the defeat of ISIS was here. AKP knows this very well. It is aware of the importance of Kobanê. For this, Kobanê is the target.

Does the current political conjuncture allow a new attack of the Turkish state against Northern and Eastern Syria?

In fact, the airstrikes against Kobanê constitute another dimension of the declared war. It’s not that the war hasn’t started, the war has begun. A war is being waged against Northern and Eastern Syria. The political conjuncture does not allow for a comprehensive invasion attack now, but some forces in Syria have given the green light to the Turkish state. For now, therefore, it is attacking from the air. Of course, this situation benefits some international forces in Syria. Not only the Turkish state, but all of them benefit from the pressure being exerted on the Autonomous Administration and the SDF. They want to have their say in the Syrian solution in the future. For this reason, the Turkish state’s attacks are tolerated.

The Turkish state also applies special war methods. It does it through political, military, media and social media. It wants to weaken the Autonomous Administration system and break the will of the people. It imposes an economic embargo on our region, reduces the water flux of the Euphrates, and carries out assassination attacks. It targets civilians. While conducting diplomatic and political negotiations on these regions, it wants to provide the environment it needs with special war methods and to occupy the region more easily, once it gets international support.