ypg Archives - Iran News Daily

Turkish forces assault on Raqqah

reporter 1222 — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 08:30:49 +0000

Turkish military forces and allied militants have launched a fierce assault on a key town in Syria’s northern province of Raqqah, more than a month after they mounted a cross-border offensive to clear the region of YPG Kurdish militants.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that Turkish troops and their proxies attacked residential neighborhoods in Ayn Issa, located around 45 kilometers north of the provincial capital city of Raqqah, with artillery rounds, rockets and mortar shells on Saturday, causing heavy damage to citizens’ properties, public facilities as well as urban infrastructure. There were no immediate reports of possible casualties. Iran News quotes the news.

The report added that local residents fled the town fearing for their lives.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, meanwhile, reported that the Kurdish-led SDF militants, whose ranks mainly include YPG fighters, “are trying to prevent Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies from advancing towards the town.”

Elsewhere in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah, local sources, requesting anonymity, have told SANA that Turkish military forces are apparently establishing a new base on the outskirts of Ra’s al-Ayn city.

The sources noted that Turkish military engineering vehicles are flattening the terrain, and setting up bulwarks.

Local sources also said tens of families, dressed in outfits similar to members of the Daesh terrorist group, have settled in the southern sector of Ra’s al-Ayn.

On October 9, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeastern Syria in a declared attempt to push YPG militants away from border areas

Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984.

On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum of understanding that asserted YPG militants had to withdraw from the Turkish-controlled “safe zone” in northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which Ankara and Moscow would run joint patrols around the area.

In the wake of the flare-up, Syria deployed unit of its army to areas in the northeast following a deal with Kurds to hand over control of key cities in the region to government forces in exchange for support against Turkish strikes.

Ankara wants to see a 32-kilometer “safe zone” established in northeastern Syria which is clear from Kurdish militants and where it can relocate a great percentage of the more than three million Syrian refugees living in Turkey.

The post Turkish forces assault on Raqqah appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Turkey detains 3 pro-Kurdish mayors over ‘terror’ links

reporter 1222 — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 05:30:47 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Turkey has arrested three mayors from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) on suspicion of “membership in a terror group” and “disseminating terror propaganda.”

The three pro-Kurdish mayors of Kayapinar, Bismil and Kocakoy in the Kurdish majority southeast, as well as the dismissed mayor of Diyarbakir, Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli, were detained as part of an investigation launched by prosecutors, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Monday, Presstv Reported.

The three local mayors were suspended over alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, which has been waging an insurgency for autonomy in Turkey’s largely-Kurdish southeast since 1984 and is deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey.

In August, Mirzakli was removed from office on charges of links to the PKK along with two other mayors. The pro-Kurdish mayors — all members of HDP — had active cases against them in which they were accused of crimes such as establishing or spreading propaganda for the militant group, or just being a member.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly claimed the HDP has ties to the PKK.

Thousands of HDP members have been prosecuted over the same accusation, including its leaders. The party denies any affiliation with the outlawed Kurdish militant group.

The Turkish government is also angered by descriptions of its offensive on Syria that the HDP labels as an “invasion attempt.”

The HDP has urged Ankara to halt the military operation in northern Syria, which is purportedly aimed at pushing Kurdish militants from the border region.

On October 15, Turkey arrested four mayors from the HDP in an apparent crackdown on critics of Ankara’s latest offensive against Syria.

Turkish police has launched criminal investigations against HDP’s co-chairs over their criticism of the attack and began probes into over 500 social accounts over “terrorist propaganda” slamming the offensive.

On October 9, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeast Syria in a declared attempt to push YPG militants away from border areas.

Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the PKK. The YPG constitutes the backbone of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The post Turkey detains 3 pro-Kurdish mayors over ‘terror’ links appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Erdogan doesn’t rule out cooperation with Syria’s Assad on YPG

reporter 1222 — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 06:50:58 +0000

TEHRAN–Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t rule out possibility of cooperation with Syria’s Assad government on YPG.

Ankara continues to rule out any place for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its militia the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in any solution process in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated, after Turkey, Iran and Russia convened for a key summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Nov. 22.

“We discussed the issue of the Syria national dialogue congress in detail. We, as three countries, will decide on who will be invited to the congress. Sub-commissions established by our foreign ministries will make the necessary studies beforehand,” Erdoğan said, adding that chiefs of general staff and intelligence agencies will contribute if necessary, reported Hurriyet Daily.

“We project that all groups and all fractions in Syria will be invited,” he noted, while stressing that Turkey’s position on “terrorist organizations such as the YPG and the PYD is clear.”

The post Erdogan doesn’t rule out cooperation with Syria’s Assad on YPG appeared first on Iran News Daily.