Speaking about the increasing attacks of the Turkish state against North and East Syria, SDF Commander Umut Gabar said: "The Turkish state aims to cover up its crises by attacking the Kurdish people as usual".

SDF Commander Umut Gabar spoke with ANF about the Turkish state's invasion and withdrawal from some regions in North and East Syria.

The Turkish state has intensified its attacks, especially against Ain Issa, in the last few weeks. What are the Turkish state and its mercenaries aiming at with these new attacks against North and East Syria?

To understand the Turkish state's attacks on North and East Syria, it is necessary to first understand the Turkish state's system. The politics of the Turkish state and its very system are no longer acceptable. There must be a change in this system. However, the government neither managed to find a solution for this, nor could it adopt an external model that would create a change in the Turkish state system. Faced with this deadlock, the Turkish state tried to keep the politicians, the public and the institutions busy with problems outside of Turkey. Of course, this caused the Turkish state to go through an economic crisis, a security crisis and also a great democratic crisis. Erdogan has been in power for 20 years, and he achieved this [longevity] with some changes. Of course, these changes included the complete destruction of the democratic structure in Turkey.

The Turkish state has been involved in the Syrian crisis by supporting many radical Islamic groups in order to escape from its own internal crises and keep the people busy with external problems. Which is also why the Turkish state has supported the conflicts in the Mediterranean Sea, Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this way, it tries to cover up the deep internal crises it is experiencing.

Turkey always targeted Kurds

The Turkish state has always chosen the Kurdish people as a target to cover up its crises and defeats, because it has always seen the Kurds as enemies and continues to see them like that. Chauvinist and fascist groups in Turkey are easily convinced when the Kurdish card is played. The politics of the Turkish state is not new. There are many examples in history. For example, it tried to cover up its defeat during the First World War by massacring Armenians. The Dersim massacre and the Sheik Said before the Second World War are also the result of the same policy.

But the Turkish state could not achieve what it wanted. [When we come to recent events] it had to come to an agreement in Libya. Europe also supported this agreement. In fact, this was a defeat for the Turkish state. On the other hand, in the war between Greece and the Turkish state, Europe announced that it would support Greece. Again, there were some international agreements made in different countries, and all these negatively affected the politics of the Turkish state.

So, how is the government of Turkey trying to convince the public and keep it busy as a result of this political defeat? Once again it targeted the Kurdish and Arab peoples in Syria to overcome the political impasse it finds itself in.

True face of Erdogan exposed in Idlib

The withdrawal of the Turkish state from some areas in Libya has exposed the true face of Erdogan. Senior officials of the "Free Army" affiliated to the Turkish state and some mercenary groups said that the Turkish state withdrew and did not keep its promises to them. Russia has been insisting on the solution of the Idlib problem for several months. The Turkish government told the mercenaries: ‘We will withdraw from here, but we will grow and expand the area elsewhere.’ It tried to persuade these mercenaries by attacking Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî, Ayn Issa and Til Temir.

This policy of the Turkish state is not new. Our administration and our people are aware of this policy and its response has been very harsh. The SDF responded strongly to these attacks. The people did not run away from the war and organised protests while clashes were taking place in Ain Issa. They went out into the streets and protested the attacks. Leaders of the region expressed their discomfort and stated that they would not accept the attacks. Participation in the SDF has increased. All this is a response to the policies of the Turkish state.

Russia and the Syrian regime did not respond with a strong stance to these attacks. Why do you think they haven’t?

We cannot say that Russia and the Syrian regime are not involved in this policy. They also have a role in these attacks. The Turkish state is not breaking this agreement for the first time. The attacks of the Turkish state have been continuing since the first day. Sometimes it attacked Til Temir. Two months ago they attacked Ayn Issa again with mortars and howitzers. Two months ago, Russia was putting forward different reasons such as that we did not help them, that we were favouring relations with the International Coalition.

They tried to put pressure on the Administration, saying that ‘nothing happens without us’. There was an effort to show us and the world that only Russia can solve the problems. This happened one month before the attacks.

We can say that the Syrian regime has also regressed on the military scale and when we consider the economic crisis, it is desperate. The Syrian regime cannot do anything either militarily or politically. The Autonomous Administration carries out a stronger policy.

Russia is presenting itself as the key to a solution

Russia, on the other hand, carries out its policy on the basis of ‘the Turkish state will come, massacre, and only I can protect you’. Simultaneously with the occupation attacks, there was an attack against the Autonomous Administration in the press of the Syrian regime. This should be taken into account. There is a revolution in North and East Syria and the war continues. Although the Autonomous Administration meets the needs of the people, however, there are shortcomings. Existing problems will also be resolved over time. For example, there is the issue of ISIS prisoners and security problems in some places. The Syrian regime is trying to attack exploiting these problems. In fact, the regime has recently changed its tone against the SDF and the Autonomous Administration.

Many times, Erdogan announced that he had intelligence relations with the Syrian regime. The Turkish state's withdrawal from some regions has a link to Girê Sipî and Serêkaniyê. There may be a collusion played on Idlib. With the delivery of Idlib, there may be a possibility of an agreement on giving the east of the Euphrates to the Turks. Similar agreements have been made before. Therefore, it is not unlikely that there will be an agreement between the Syrian regime and the Erdogan regime.

According to the agreement, the Turkish state and its mercenaries must stay at least 3 km from the M4 road. Of course, the same condition applies to the SDF. It is observed that the agreement was constantly violated on the M4 route. Again, attacks continue. How do you evaluate the indifference of the powers that actually brokered this agreement?

In fact, in order to understand this policy well, first of all, it is necessary to return to the features of this agreement.

When the deal was made, it was to be temporary, not permanent. Because at that time there were contradictions between the US administration and the government was fragmented. Some argued that retreat was right, some said it was wrong. In other words, there was no clear stance in US politics. Again, Russia had a dream to enter this area, but it was not ready to do so. Again, in the program of the Syrian regime, there was the effort to protect its own regime rather than protecting the people. The pressure on the Turkish state was also heavy. There have been protests in many places from the Middle East to Europe, civil society organizations and human rights organizations protested the occupation and took a stand against the Turkish state. With all this, everyone was tried to be persuaded to come to an agreement.

It should also be reminded that the SDF Command did not fully accept this agreement. SDF commander Mazlum Ebdi explained that the only reason for accepting this agreement was to protect the people.

Turkey targets not only military forces but also civilians

The Turkish state was targeting not only military forces but also civilians. The Turkish state targeted the march of civilians in Serêkaniyê in front of the whole press and killed 27 people. The war policy of the Turkish state is a policy of terror. It thinks that the more people, animals and nature it kills, the more success it will achieve.

There was brutality and slaughter. Banned weapons were used in Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî and Ayn Issa. The Turkish state displayed its murderous mentality here. The Autonomous Administration saw this and had to accept certain things.

The deal arose in such circumstances. The Syrian regime does not have a project to protect the people, it is trying to show its presence in the international arena. Russia also tried to show this attitude of the Syrian regime as a success. It was also giving the message: ‘The USA can't solve it, I can.’ But it didn't. There was also no high-level meeting with the SDF and the Autonomous Administration regarding the solution.

The Turkish state continued its attack policy to persuade the mercenaries and keep them loyal after handing over the Idlib countryside to the regime. The Turkish state knows very well that the M4 route is strategic for Russia. Russia is trying to win the M4 road and the Himimim military base through the Turkish state. It also wants to use the trade routes in the east and south of the Mediterranean. This line is strategic for Russia.

The Turkish state wants to seize strategic places for Russia and use it as a means of pressure. Turkey will fulfil the requirements of the agreement; we knew this well from the beginning.

New Turkish occupation in sight?

Turkey has deployed an increased number of its forces on the border lines. Can we suspect plans for a new occupation?

This policy of the Turkish state is not new; it has always existed. Erdogan always says ‘Even if there was one Kurd in Africa, I will finish with him’. Erdogan would never accept a free, independent and honourable Kurd. At first it wanted to finish Kurds through ISIS. ISIS could move south of the Euphrates and enter the regime areas. But it did not, it attacked the Kurdish regions. It went to Kobanê. However, the regime was not in Kobanê. It also attacked Tirbesipiye via al Nusra Front in 2012-2013. Again, they attacked Dêrik and Rimêlan. In this way, it wanted to destroy the Kurdish people and the brotherhood of the peoples, but it lost. After that, it wanted to do it through the "Free Army" and other mercenary groups, it failed again. The Turkish state then took direct action.

The SDF is a defense force. The SDF tried at times to put pressure to achieve some long-term projects also trying to commit international institutions and legal institutions to do some work in order to protect the people. The SDF wanted to seek solutions not in a military way but politically and accepted some agreements.

It should be noted that our strength comes from our great experience. Great heroism was displayed in Afrin, Shehba, Girê Spî and Serekaniye. After the ceasefire, the SDF started direct training. It worked to prepare both its forces and the people for any possible situations.

Now our people know that if we will face a war it would be for life or death, and the Turkish state must understand this. The peoples of North East Syria will live in freedom and dignity. The SDF is prepared for war in every way, it has a spirit of resistance and our people will stand by its military forces.