On Tuesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Kurds, initiated a counteroffensive against the Syrian National Army (SNA), which is backed by Ankara. Their aim is to reclaim areas near the Syrian-Turkish border.
Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in early December, clashes intensified between the U.S.-backed SDF and SNA around the key city of Manbij and its surrounding areas.
Ruken Jamal, a representative of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) within the SDF, told AP that their fighters are located more than ten kilometers from the center of Manbij. Jamal accused Turkey of attempting to weaken the group's influence in negotiations regarding Syria's political future.
"Syria is now at a new stage, discussions are underway about the country's future," Jamal said. "By attacking us, Turkey is trying to distract and exclude us from the negotiations in Damascus."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, reported that dozens of people have died on both sides since the SNA's offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria began.
Ankara views the SDF as an affiliate of its arch-enemy, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist organization. Turkey-backed armed groups, with the support of Turkish aircraft, have attacked SDF positions in northern Syria for years, aiming to establish a buffer zone free of this group along the border.
Although the SNA participated in the uprising led by "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS) that resulted in Assad's ousting, it continues to fight against the SDF, as it sees them as a second key player in Syria that shapes its political future.
The SDF enjoys support from Washington, which considers Kurdish forces its primary ally in the fight against the remnants of the "Islamic State" and its affiliates.
Will Ankara Remain Stubborn?
On Monday, SDF representative Farhad Shami stated that the group’s forces have pushed back Turkey-backed rebels from areas near the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates, a crucial source of hydroelectric power. According to him, the SDF also destroyed a tank belonging to the rebels southeast of Manbij.
On Tuesday, a British monitoring organization reported that following overnight battles, the Kurdish-led group regained control of four villages near the strategic dam.
In recent days, Turkish aircraft have also struck the strategically important border city of Kobani.
During the Syrian uprising, which escalated into conflict, the Kurds established an autonomous enclave in northeastern Syria, never aligning with either Assad in Damascus or the rebels attempting to overthrow him.
Observers believe that although the Assad family has faded from the spotlight, Ankara's position seems unlikely to change. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a significant visit to Syria, took a hard stance against the Kurdish-led group in a meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
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"It has turned the region into a hub of terror with PKK members and far-left groups arriving from Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Europe," Fidan said at a press conference following the meeting. "The international community turns a blind eye to this lawlessness because it protects him (from the so-called ISIS)."
SDF commander Mazlum Abdi expressed concern that the power vacuum in Syria and ongoing hostilities prevent his group from conducting attacks and raids on scattered "sleeper cells" of Islamists.