AANES in touch with Russia to block Turkish invasion in Syria

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) is in dialogue with all active parties involved including Russia, to avoid a Turkish offensive in Northern Syria, said Ilham Ahmed, the President of the Council’s Executive Committee, according to North Press Agency.

The SDC is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Autonomous Administration of North in East Syria (AANES), a de facto body that has created alarms in Turkey because of its ties with YPG (People's Defense Units), an offshoot of PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) which has been fighting Turkey for four decades. 

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month announced plans for an offensive into northern Syria, especially to seize control in the two northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.

Ahmed said she believed that Erdogan aims to promote his aggressive action against the AANES-held areas in an upcoming visit to Tehran where he will meet with Iranian and Russian presidents.

“Turkey is trying to “exploit and gain support of NATO to fight the forces that fought and defeated the extremist Islamic State organization (ISIS), which we condemn.” Ahmed said.

On Thursday, the North Press Agency also said that Syrian government was deploying forces in the north and northeast of Aleppo to prevent a Turkish invasion.