The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has called for urgent action to defend North & East Syria (Rojava) and its autonomous administration (AANES) amid intensifying attacks by Turkish-backed jihadist forces. In a statement on Sunday, the KNK highlighted the involvement of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the rebel Syrian National Army (SNA), accusing Turkey of coordinating the assaults.
“Turkish-backed forces have launched attacks on Kurdish areas, including Shahba [Şehba] and Tel Rifaat, where many refugees from Afrin [Efrîn] are sheltering. People in these regions are under attack and face the threat of a massacre,” it said.
The statement explained that five days prior, HTS and the SNA had started attacking the forces of the Syrian regime. “Interestingly, the Syrian Army retreated without resistance, allowing these groups to advance into Aleppo,” it said. By the sixth day, the jihadist forces had taken control of most of Aleppo, with the ex ception of the Kurdish neighbourhoods.
“These attacks are not isolated incidents,” the KNK said. “They are part of Turkish President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman ambitions to occupy northern Syria. Turkey has long pursued destructive policies against Rojava, dating back to its role in enabling the attacks of the Islamic State [ISIS] on Kobani [Ayn al-Arab]in 2014.”
HTS, described by the KNK as “an international jihadist force”, includes fighters from various countries and relies on Turkey for logistical support. “The SNA operates entirely under Turkish orders,” the statement added.
The KNK warned of grave consequences if these forces succeed in their campaign, drawing comparisons to ISIS’s atrocities. “Their victory would transform Syria into a base for jihadist and Salafist forces, destabilising the region further,” it said.
The group appealed to the international community, including those involved in Syria, to act immediately. “We call on all world powers to see the reality of this situation and take action accordingly. The success of HTS and the SNA would mean a scenario similar to the rise of ISIS, turning Syria into a hub for extremist forces,” the KNK warned.
The KNK also urged Kurds and allies worldwide to mobilise. “We call on all Kurds, people of Kurdistan, and friends of the Kurds to follow this situation closely, take a stand, and defend Rojava and the AANES as they did during the Kobani resistance [against ISIS],” the statement concluded.
