15 January 2018•Update: 16 January 2018
By Halil Fidan and Muslum Etgu
SANLIURFA, Turkey
Syrian Kurds who fled to Turkey have voiced their opposition to the U.S. attempt to form a so-called army from among the ranks of the terror group, PYD/PKK, in Syria.
The U.S. bid to form an army from the SDF, which is mostly a cover of the PYD/PKK, has deeply concerned Syrian Kurds living in tents in Turkey's Sanliurfa province.
Adul Mustafa told Anadolu Agency he fled clashes between Daesh and the PKK/PYD terrorists in Syria's Ayn al-Arab (Kobane) district and came to Turkey four years ago. He recalled how he left everything behind and sought refuge in Turkey.
Mustafa said during that period thousands of Syrian Kurds had come to the Turkish border. He praised Turkey for opening its arms to them.
He said the Syrian Kurds could not return to their homes, although clashes have ended, because of the presence of terrorist PKK/PYD in the area.
"People live through every kind of difficulty there. Children are being forced to join their ranks," Mustafa said.
He added the PKK/PYD forces people who do not back them to migrate.
"We cannot understand some countries' support for terrorist organizations. If it continues like this, the war would not come to an end," he said.
Another Kurd from Ayn al-Arab who fled to Turkey, Abdulkerim al-Kasim, said he could not return to his home in Syria because of the oppression of PKK/PYD terrorists.
Kasim said the U.S. support for a terrorist organization on the pretext of fighting another terror group Daesh did not comply with democratic ways.
Syrian Turkmen against move
"We are Kurds but we are not supporting the PYD, because they are working towards the partition of the country," Kasim said.
"We cannot understand the U.S. and other countries' support for these [groups]," Kasim added, referring to the PYD/PKK terrorists.
He said he hopes Syria’s Afrin, Manbij and Kobane would be freed soon like Jarabulus.
Rojin Murad, a teacher, said she could not return to Ayn al-Arab because of terrorists, adding she neither wants Daesh nor PKK/PYD in her country.
Furthermore, Syrian Turkmen and Arab Tribes Union, in a written statement, also criticized the U.S. attempt to form an army from among the PKK/PYD terror group.
"We criticize the U.S. for this attempt," the statement said, adding that the U.S. should renounce this wrongful act.
"All of these are efforts to partition Syria, but we as Syrians will not allow this," it said.
On Sunday, the U.S.-led international coalition against Daesh announced it would establish a 30,000-strong new border security force with the SDF -- the U.S.-backed group, largely controlled and manned by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria.
Turkey has long protested the U.S. support for the PKK/PYD terror group, while Washington has brushed off these criticisms, saying it needs the terror group’s help to fight against Daesh in Syria.
The PKK/PYD is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU. The PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, leading to the deaths of more than 40,000 security forces and civilians.
