"The Syrian forces fulfill their duty at the border"

As Aldar Xelîl (TEV-DEM) explains, the units of the Syrian military who have come to Afrin are supposed to support border security.

Aldar Xelîl, co-chair of the Executive Council of the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), told the ANHA news agency that Afrin is part of Syria, that they have reached a military agreement with Syria and that political future of Afrin will be talked about later.

Xelîl pointed out that the forces of the Syrian government have a responsibility to defend Afrin, since it is part of Syria, saying; "At the beginning of the attacks on Afrin, the autonomous administration of Afrin has declared itself a part of Syria and denounced invasion attacks against Syrian lands. They also stated that the Syrian state and its military should defend their country officially. This means that we see ourselves as part of Syria. I would like to say this in particular to those who described the proclamation of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria as a declaration of independence from Syria."

“RUSSIA SHOULD RECONSIDER ITS DECISION”

Xelîl continued, "Now the Syrian military's Kuvvet Shabi (Popular Forces) are here. Russia should rethink its decision. If Russia continues as before and does not take a stance against the Turkish attacks, it will allow the Turkish state to attack the Syrian state. That will bring with it completely different consequences. The deployment of the Syrian forces highlights the need for all actors in Syria to take responsibility. The Kuvvet Shabi forces are representatives of the Syrian state. These forces now help to secure the borders. But questions about the future of Afrin are not on the agenda right now. These are things that need to be discussed later."