Two U.S. senators held a meeting with a so-called co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), a fraction of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ,
Two U.S. senators held a meeting with a so-called co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), a fraction of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) , known as one of the Syrian affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group, as the deadline for the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned safe zone in northern Syria approaches.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen on Monday received the terror group’s so-called representative Ilham Ahmed in Washington.
“After our meeting with Ilham Ahmed, we’re even more worried about the situation unfolding in northeastern Syria. Right now, Congress must come together to maintain an adequate U.S. troops in Syria, ensure air support, and impose sanctions against Turkey,” Chris Van Hollen said in a tweet.
Just got out of a bipartisan meeting with the SDC Executive Committee President Ilham Ahmed—the highest political representative of the Syrian Kurds. She described the horrible situation that demands action. We stand with Ilham during her emergency mission to ask Congress to act. pic.twitter.com/tjRgiQtOlq
— Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) October 21, 2019
Lindsay Graham has been a vocal critic of Ankara’s ongoing Operation Peace Spring and announced he was working on the sanctions legislation alongside Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen prior to the operation’s formal launch.
Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Ankara and the U.S. have agreed on a 20-mile (32-kilometer) safe zone south of the Turkish border in Syria, where Turkey wants to accommodate more than 3 million refugees it is currently hosting.
Erdoğan, Putin to discuss phased terrorist YPG/PKK withdrawal in Syria
The terrorist YPG/PKK is expected to initially withdraw from a 120-kilometre (75 mile) strip of the border with Turkey in northeast Syria as part of an agreement brokered by Washington, a Turkish security source said on Tuesday.The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin would discuss the YPG/PKK terror group withdrawal from the rest of the border at a meeting in Russia later on Tuesday.
Erdoğan: Turkey to go ahead with Syria op if US promises not kept
Turkey will press on ahead with its cross-border operation into Syria if promises given by Washington to Ankara are not kept, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday.Speaking ahead of an official visit to Russia, Erdoğan also said he would discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin how a Syrian constitutional committee that is due to meet in late October can make concrete progress.Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea city of Sochi to discuss the future of Syria. Moscow is one of the main stakeholders in the lingering Syrian conflict providing the Bashar al-Assad regime military support.“Turkey and Russia agree on every point of the fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said.“We will discuss the steps to be taken to end the presence of PKK/PYD/YPG in areas where Syrian regime elements exist,” he added.He went on to say that Turkey’s operation in northern Syria neutralized 775 YPG/PKK terrorists. Also, seven Turkish troops, 79 Turkey-backed Syrian National Army troops and 20 civilians were martyred.The successful operation aimed at establishing peace in the region has cleared an area of 2,200 square kilometers of terrorists and 160 settlements, he added.Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara and the U.S. have agreed on a 20-mile (32-kilometer) safe zone south of the Turkish border in Syria, where Turkey wants to accommodate more than 3 million refugees it is currently hosting.On Oct. 17, Turkey agreed to pause its Syria operation for 120 hours to allow the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned safe zone. The pause ends on Tuesday evening.Some 700 to 800 terrorists withdrew from the safe zone and 1,200 to 1,300 are planning to retreat, Erdogan said.”We are tracking them down,” he said.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.
Russia supports steps removing terror threat from Syria
Russia’s stance on Syria is reaching a situation with no illegal armed groups on the country’s territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.”We have our position, which we openly promote, which we consider optimal in the current situation, which is to achieve a situation where all the structures of the Kurds on the Syrian territory will be firmly inscribed in the legal framework of the Syrian Arab Republic, in the Syrian constitution, and that there are no illegal armed groups on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, and no threat, originating from the territory of Syria to the Republic of Turkey, as well as to other states,” Lavrov said, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, following a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Ekaterina Zaharieva.According to the minister, a dialogue has to be established between the sides to achieve the goal in Syria.”… And, of course, a dialogue between Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic is necessary, where we are also ready to play a supporting role and encourage such direct contacts. It is obvious that the dialogue between Ankara and Damascus should be based on the Adana agreement of 1998,” he said.Lavrov said amendment of the Adana agreement can also be possible, and it was up to the sides to decide whether the document needs to be revised.”This is the existing international legal framework, which has been confirmed by both sides recently, including in the context of current events. If the parties find it necessary and mutually acceptable to clarify or amend this agreement in any way, it will be their decision, and we will certainly accept and support it,” he said.Referring to a possibility of contacts between the Turkish and Syrian officials in Sochi on the sidelines of the presidential meeting, Lavrov said there were no such plans.Russia welcomes Turkey-US talksIn a separate statement, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Russia is “positive” about the results of the talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S Vice President Michael Pence.”The Russian side is positive about the results of the talks between the Turkish leadership and the U.S. vice president. But tomorrow, as you know, 120 hours, these five days are already expiring, we will see how the situation will develop. Actually, this will be discussed by Russian and Turkish leaders at a meeting in Sochi,” he said.Second line of TurkStream will be completed in 2020Lavrov said his Bulgarian counterpart Ekaterina Zaharieva informed him about the beginning of construction of the second branch of the “TurkStream” gas pipeline.The relevant ceremony with the participation of Bulgarian prime minister and the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria was held today, according to the minister.”The partners stressed that the work, as planned, will be completed on time by 2020,” Lavrov said.