In Syria Today, it was reported that the United States was uneasy about Turkey’s potential rapprochement with Syria due to its support for Kurdish militants, complicating normalization efforts between Ankara and Damascus. Additionally, a fire at Syria’s Al-Hol camp, where five women recently escaped, and continued military operations by Turkey against Kurdish militias, underscore the ongoing regional tensions.
Washington Worried about Rapprochement
The United States is reportedly uneasy about Turkey’s potential rapprochement with Syria, according to Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Celik claimed that Washington’s military support for militants of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in Syria complicates efforts toward normalization between Ankara and Damascus.
While discussing the possibility of a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad, Celik stated that it is premature to discuss specific dates. He emphasized that a meeting between the two nations’ foreign ministers must take place first.
Celik pointed out that the U.S. has been displeased with Turkey’s interactions with Syria.
“Why is the U.S. uncomfortable? It is interesting. During our President’s meetings with Assad, they called Syria a rogue state. They were calling it a shift in axis. We were saying ‘our axis is Ankara’. Now there is a clear situation. The PYD, the Syrian PKK and the structures we call terrorist organizations are supported and engaged by the U.S.,” Celik said.
Our rapprochement with Syria means a nightmare for the terrorist organization. From this point of view, countries that are the patrons of terrorist organizations are trying to prevent normalization. Turkey’s will is in favor of Syria’s territorial integrity. From Syria, it is the elimination of security threats.
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Chemical Weapons Use in Syria
Ambassador Robert Wood, addressing the UN Security Council on September 5, 2024, marked the 11th anniversary of Resolution 2118, which called for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons program. Wood emphasized that Syria has failed to comply with the resolution’s key pillars, including the prohibition of chemical weapons use and the requirement for full cooperation with the UN and OPCW. He condemned the Assad regime’s repeated use of chemical weapons against Syrian citizens and its refusal to account for its chemical weapons program or take responsibility for its actions.
Wood praised the OPCW’s efforts to address discrepancies in Syria’s declarations, noting that gaps persist, with two new issues raised in 2023, bringing the total to 19 unresolved discrepancies. He urged all member states to support the measures adopted to prevent the transfer of dual-use chemicals to Syria and to terrorist groups. The United States remains committed to ending Syria’s chemical weapons program and ensuring accountability, refusing to forget the atrocities committed.
Five women flee Syria’s Al-Hol camp as fire ravages dozens of tents
A massive fire broke out on Saturday at the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, which houses families of Islamic State (IS) members as well as thousands of displaced Iraqis and Syrians, The New Arab reported.
The blaze damaged over 30 tents and came just hours after reports that several women of Arab and foreign nationalities who had been detained at the camp had escaped.
According to media activist Khaled Al-Hasakawi, the fire caused damage to 31 tents in one section of the camp because of the delayed arrival of fire trucks to extinguish the flames.
Al-Hasakawi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the delay was caused by a security cordon set up by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who run the camp in coordination with the Syrian Kurdish Asayish police force, following the escape of a group of women who hold both Western and MENA nationalities.
A group of five women – three Russians and two Moroccans – reportedly escaped on Friday night with the help of Syrian smugglers.
The women are still on the run and have not yet been captured by the SDF and Asayish.
A wider threat: We’re paying the price of ignoring Seven Sotloff’s early warnings on ISIS – opinion
Felice Friedson wrote an op-ed in JPost.com in which she reflects on the legacy of Steven Sotloff, a journalist who was executed by ISIS in 2014.
Friedson highlights Sotloff’s early warnings about the rise of ISIS and the terrorist group’s continued threat, despite efforts to defeat it. She notes how Sotloff, with his bold reporting from regions like Libya, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen, foresaw the growth of jihadist forces, which were often ignored by mainstream media and government authorities. Friedson argues that the ideology of ISIS persists, mutating and spreading across regions such as Afghanistan, Africa, and Europe, despite military efforts to contain it.
She stresses that governments must do more to dismantle ISIS leadership and address the extremist ideology at its core, cautioning against complacency in the fight against terrorism. The op-ed serves as a call to action, urging the world to remember Sotloff’s legacy and to continue the fight for truth and justice in the face of extremism.
Syrian rebels cut ties with Turkey-backed opposition ‘government’ amid disputes over crossing
A Syrian opposition armed group operating in northern Syria has ceased cooperation with the Turkish-backed ‘Syrian Interim Government’ following a meeting with the government’s prime minister, Abdul Rahman Mustafa, The New Arab reported.
The Levant Front, a prominent armed group which is part of the Turkish-backed ‘Syrian National Army’ controls areas of northern Syria close to the Turkish border, called for the dissolution of the current government and for criminal charges to be brought against Mustafa.
A meeting organised by Turkish intelligence took place on Wednesday between Mustafa and representatives of the Levant Front in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. However, it descended into bitter arguments and recriminations.
A statement from the Levant Front accused Mustafa of “deliberately insulting some revolutionary factions” and “accusing them of sabotage and terrorism”.
Mustafa had allegedly accused some of the factions that made up the Levant Front, notably the Ahrar Al-Sharqiya front of criminal activity and “terrorism”.
Turkish army eliminates 16 Kurdish militias in Iraq, Syria
On Sunday, the Turkish Defense Ministry reported that 16 individuals affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed in military operations conducted in northern Iraq and Syria, Daily Sabagh reported.
According to the ministry’s statement, 15 individuals were targeted in areas previously secured by Syrian opposition forces with Turkish support, specifically within the Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch zones in Syria. An additional individual was killed in Iraq’s Qandil region, a known PKK stronghold.
The PKK has been engaged in a decades-long conflict, resulting in significant casualties. Its Syrian affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), has gained control over parts of northeastern Syria amid the country’s civil war. Turkish military and intelligence forces regularly conduct operations in areas controlled by the YPG.
Turkey maintains control over border territories in northern Syria and has launched multiple campaigns to establish a security zone. The Turkish government seeks to prevent connections between YPG forces in Syria strongholds in northern Iraq.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler stated that an ongoing military operation in northern Iraq, initiated in April 2022, is expected to conclude before winter, with increased airstrikes in the region. Recent agreements between Baghdad and Ankara involve joint military cooperation aimed at addressing border security concerns.”
