Kurdish Coalition Leader Calls for Peace Talks as Turkish Bombings Escalate
The leader of US-backed Kurdish-led coalition forces in Syria has voiced support for renewed efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict with Turkey, calling for international involvement in diplomatic talks to prevent further escalation as Turkish bombings intensify.
Turkey has increased airstrikes and drone attacks on northern Iraq and northeastern Syria in the past week, following an October 23 attack by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members that killed five people and injured 20 others.
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In an interview Tuesday evening with the Associated Press, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi argued that Ankara had been ready to use force against Kurdish forces. “The Turks claim that these attacks are a response to the recent activity in Ankara. But that is not the reason, because the type and continuity of the attacks now entering their sixth day show that this is not a mere response. The Ankara incident was just an excuse,” he said.
According to Abdi, the strikes killed 18 people—mostly civilians—injured 60, and severely damaged critical infrastructure, including power plants and oil facilities.
Turkey claims parts of the SDF maintain close ties with the PKK, an assertion SDF leaders deny. Abdi expressed openness to dialogue with Ankara and optimism for a potential peace deal between the PKK and Turkey, hoping mediation efforts succeed. He stressed that peace would benefit the “Kurdish issue in Syria” and warned that further conflict with Turkey could harm counterinsurgency efforts against ISIS.
