Syrian Democratic Council Co-chair İlham Ehmed stated that the Hesekê attack was a result of the new concept among the regimes of Turkey, Iran and Baath, and said it was a new process and situation. Ehmed said: “But it isn’t fully clear whether this is strategical or tactical. It is apparent that there is a great game here and the Turkish state is at the head of it.”

Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) Co-chair İlham Ehmed talked to ANF on the background of the conflict in Hesekê on its 8th day and the goals of this attack.

İlham Ehmed pointed out that it was the first time that the regime had launched such a preplanned attack on Rojava and said: “This attack is an attack for power and occupation. It is an attack to usurp the will of the people created in the region in five years. This is why, the resistance and the precious stance against this attack by our people and our forces continue. We will never step back from this position and we will never bow down.”

“THEY GIVE A MESSAGE TO TURKEY WITH THIS ATTACK”

İlham Ehmed said that the regime forces had launched attacks on cities like Hesekê and Qamishlo before, but that the level of preparation and the scope of the attack was a first. She emphasized that this attack wasn’t carried out by a local or small unit, but with the central decree from the regime. İlham Ehmed said:

“This attack is a result of the new concept among the regimes of Turkey, Iran and Baath. It was a new process and situation. But it isn’t fully clear whether this is strategical or tactical. It is apparent that there is a great game here and the Turkish state is at the head of it.

The regime had refrained from such conflicts up to now, and had kept the sensibilities between Kurds and the state in mind. Although there had been occasional attacks and retaliation for them, such use of jet fighters, such declarations regarding clashes, calling the security forces in the region “PKK” shows that they speak the language of the Turkish state.

With these, they are giving Turkey the message: ‘Accept me staying in power. Convince the groups allied to you to do the same. And I will act like you and talk like you against the Kurds.’ And Turkey wants to take its place in Damascus politics and be of effect again.”

“THE TURKISH REGIME MADE A PROMISE BUT THEY ARE USING TACTICS”

İlham Ehmed mentioned that Turkey had made some promises to the regime in an anti-Kurdish basis and continued:

“Up to now, Erdoğan had called Assad a dictator. He supported many terrorist groups including ISIS and opposition groups and had them fighting against the regime. Turkey lost all its friends in the region and it has taken to new negotiations with the regime in hopes of refortifying itself, reviving its politics and blocking the democratic federalism project led by the Kurds. They declared verbally to the regime that they will pull support from opposition groups and made a promise to not object to Assad staying in power. In return, they have asked the regime to stop the Kurds. In line with these, they made an immediate statement after the attack and expressed that the regime had finally seen that Kurds posed a threat to them as well.”

İlham Ehmed pointed out that the Turkish state was employing tactics, and continued: “They haven’t left Aleppo even now. In practice, they leave the border open and groups and ammunition pass through this border daily. So even if they enter this negotiation with the regime and say these things, in practice they continue to do the same. With this, they want to turn the war back on the Syrian and Rojavan regions cleared of all the gangs. Turkey doesn’t have an interest in the destruction of ISIS and stability in the region.”

“IRAN IS PRACTICALLY RUNNING THE WAR”

İlham Ehmed stated that the Hesekê attack belonged to the Turkish state politically, and Iran practically, and said: “Actually, the main fighter in Hesekê is Iran. So it’s these two forces that are directly attacking. It was also Iran who fought in Qamishlo before. Iran wants to organize itself in the region. It wants to create its own groups among the Arabs. In this sense, it wants to realize its own project in Syria through groups close to the Regime. This is why the war launched in Hesekê in this last process is also developed against the Arab people’s interest in the democratic autonomous administration, on them joining the Democratic Syria Forces and Democratic Syrian Assembly, and warming up to the democratic federation project. I don’t think this alliance among Turkey, Iran and the Regime will be permanent. Because they have many political conflicts and these are not conflicts that can be solved. But for their own interests, they unite against the Kurds because they see the Kurds as a threat.”

İlham Ehmed also mentioned Russia’s role in the new situation and said Russia feels they need Turkey to determine the situation in Aleppo and that they have come to an agreement on some issues. İlham Ehmed expressed that they wanted to determine whether this agreement was a part of a concept, and said: “On the other hand, we see Russia’s silence in the face of this attack by the regime as approval. But we hope it isn’t so. Russia must clarify its approach. Does Russia approve the destruction of Kurdish regions, and such an attack against a force that has fought ISIS and fragmentation in Syria and has led the development of democracy? Russia must answer this question.”

“A VERY DESTRUCTIVE WAR CAN DEVELOP”

“So these alliances and this attack are dangerous. The hegemonic forces in the Middle East are ready right now to defend all kinds of ISIS terror, to enter a very destructive war, and make the peoples of Turkey a victim in this war, in a concept against the project for the democratisation of the region that has started in Rojava. On the other hand, the international forces and the coalition staying silent instead of producing a swift reaction leads the way to a great war.

There is this possibility that in the future the interests of international powers clash and that opens the way for a much greater war. If it comes to that, nobody can stop it. That is why there is a great danger. The agreements Russia and America have reached in the Aleppo issue, the Syria issue in general, and the agreements in the fight against ISIS could be disrupted by this war. This situation isn’t in the interest of Russia or America. In this sense, the coalition forces, both forces should do an urgent situation assessment and declare their stance with the democratic forces that have produced projects for democracy and takes the fraternity of peoples as a base.”

“WE WILL NEVER BOW DOWN”

İlham Ehmed assessed the stance of the Hesekê people in the face of this attack as such: “Until now, the ones resisting this attack are YPG, Asayish and HPC. Of course the stance of Hesekê people is very important. The people of Hesekê and especially the Arabs in Hesekê population have truly displayed a very important and valuable stance. Many people have been evacuated for security up to now, and the ones who remain are resisting.”

İlham Ehmed stated that the Hesekê attack couldn’t be considered a routine attack of one side on the other and ended her analysis with the following remarks: “This aggression is an attack for power and occupation. It is aimed to usurp the will of the peoples created in the region in five years. It is an attack of such level. This is why the resistance and the valuable stance of our people and our forces against this attack continues. We will never step back and never bow down. But we are hoping that the regime will understand this situation quickly and become conscious of how the Turkish state wants to pull them to the Adana agreement once more, and that there is nothing to gain there for them. The regime has to reconsider this decision and put out the fire they have started. If they do that, it will be the end of the Turkish state’s interests in the region.”