A senior Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed has urged US President-elect Donald Trump to prevent an imminent Turkish incursion into Kurdish-held areas in Syria, warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians and the fragile stability of the region, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday.
Ilham Ahmed, a prominent Syrian-Kurdish diplomat and Foreign Relations Co-chair for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), issued the plea in a letter to Trump as Turkish forces and allied militias reportedly amassed near Kobani (Kobanê), a Kurdish-majority city along the Syrian-Turkish border. “From across the border, we can already see Turkish forces amassing, and our civilians live under the constant fear of imminent death and destruction,” Ahmed wrote in her letter, reviewed by the WSJ.
Ahmed said Turkey’s objective is to seize control of Kurdish-held territories before Trump assumes office, forcing the incoming administration to recognise Ankara’s de facto authority. “Turkey’s goal is to establish de facto control over our land before you take office, forcing you to engage with them as rulers of our territory,” she stated.
US officials confirmed significant military build-ups near Kobani, including Turkish commandos and artillery, raising alarms about a potential large-scale operation reminiscent of Turkey’s 2019 invasion of northeast Syria. “We are focused on it and pressing for restraint,” a US official said.
The situation has escalated since the recent collapse of US-brokered ceasefire talks between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed militias in Kobani. A spokesman for the SDF described the build-up as “significant” and warned of dire consequences if Turkey proceeds.
Ahmed’s letter also highlighted the potential displacement of over 200,000 civilians in Kobani, including Kurdish and Christian communities. “If Turkey proceeds with its invasion, the consequences will be catastrophic,” she warned.
During his first term, Trump withdrew US forces from parts of northeast Syria, paving the way for Turkey’s 2019 invasion, which displaced hundreds of thousands. Despite this history, Ahmed expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to halt the operation.
“We believe you hold the power to prevent this catastrophe. President Erdoğan has listened to you before, and we trust he will heed your call again,” Ahmed wrote, referencing Trump’s prior assurances that the US would not abandon its Kurdish allies.
According to the WSJ, the Turkish embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter. As tensions rise, the future of Syria’s Kurdish-led administration remains uncertain.
