The alarming escalation of Turkish aggression in the Kurdish-led autonomous North and East Syria and further targeting of infrastructure and civilian facilities represents a shift for Turkey towards a ‘new policy of extermination’, Mazloum Abdi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on Monday.
The deliberate targeting of vital infrastructure not only causes significant civilian casualties, but also raises fears, undermines regional stability and increases the risk of cross-border conflict, Abdi explained, saying it marks a dangerous turn in Turkish military operations.
Calling on Turkey to refocus on internal issues and deal with them within its own borders, Abdi stressed the urgent need for international intervention. Abdi appealed to the international community to intervene and halt Turkey’s aggressive actions in order to maintain stability in the region.
“The silence of the international community and human rights organisations is a worrying signal,” Abdi said, reiterating the importance of the SDF’s existing cooperation with the US-led global coalition against Islamic State (ISIS).
“We are counting on agreements with the Global Coalition to avoid aggravation of the situation and the outbreak of a major war,” the SDF commander stressed.
The latest wave of Turkish attacks on North and East Syria began on 23 December in retaliation for military losses suffered by Turkish forces during operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in Iraqi Kurdistan. The bombing continued on Monday as Turkey wreaked havoc by hitting 25 critical infrastructure sites. The death toll has risen to eight, with a hospital among the latest targets.
