“The Kurds did not acquire drones from Iran,” a Kurdish military official said Wednesday in a video call with The Jerusalem Post. “This is all clear[ly] Turkish propaganda.”
He made his remarks in response to an article published by Yeni Safak, a conservative and Islamist Turkish newspaper, and reported by the Post, which said Kurdish forces had acquired drone capabilities from Iran.
“We did not acquire any drone capabilities from the Iranians,” the official said. “Our drone capabilities are very basic, and they are all made in-house, in initiatives led by our fighters.”
Yeni Safak is loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), the official said, adding: “This outlet has clear interests in distorting our image and tying us to extremist, pariah regimes. They failed to make progress against our fighters on the ground, and so they are trying to distribute propaganda and lies about us.”
Kurdish forces were in control of 30% to 35% of Syria, the official said, adding that the area is the safest region in the country.
“Our very existence as a self-ruling area is a hurdle for Erdogan’s expansionist agenda, which dreams of redrawing the Middle East in accordance with the map of the Ottoman Empire,” he said.
“We are being attacked even now, as we speak, despite being Syrians ourselves,” he added. “Despite this, so far, they have failed to expand east of the Euphrates, so they understandably turned to media warfare.”
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denounced and rejected the accusations in the Yeni Safak article.
“Drones are the product of pure self-experiences of the people of North and East Syria,” the SDF posted on its social media accounts. “The Turkish media affiliated with the Turkish government’s policy of genocide against the peoples of the region is grappling with a crisis of fabricating false news… These news [items] are entirely false and blatantly fabricated by the Turkish media. Their aim is to cause harm to our forces and our people and create a hostile atmosphere toward the cause of the people in North and East Syria.”
Turkey and the Kurds: a historical enmity
A historic enmity exists between the Turkish state and the Kurdish minority over ethnic tensions and the issue of Kurdish independence. The Kurdish ethnic minority constitutes an estimated 15% to 20% of the Turkish population, while millions of Kurds reside in Syria, Iran, and Iraq.
The Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq is semiautonomous and is recognized by Western powers.
Turkish forces have been launching attacks against Kurdish population centers in Syria for years, claiming that they are “run by terrorists” who provide support to a local Kurdish organization in Turkey, the PKK, which Ankara considers to be a terrorist group.
Within this context, at least since 2016, the Turkish army has been occupying large swaths of land in northern Syria, some of which are traditionally Kurdish areas.
With the consolidation of the new regime in Damascus, the Kurds of Syria fear further repercussions from the Turkish-backed forces.
“Turkiye is just like Iran,” the official said. “They are both run by extremist religious regimes. Once the Iranian influence in Syria collapsed with the Assad regime, Turkiye was free to take its place. They hate the Kurds and are unable or unwilling to stop their incitement against us.”
The official said he was concerned about the new regime’s ties to Turkey.
“Kurds are an important part of Turkish society,” he said.
“There are about four million Kurds in Istanbul alone and many more across many Turkish cities. But you must remember that many of them were ethnically cleansed by the Turkish army from their old historical towns in eastern Turkey... In Syria, too, our autonomy is an obstacle to their expansion.”
Asked whether he was optimistic about the new regime and its ties with the Kurdish minority, the official said with a bitter smile: “We appreciate the international community’s attempts to secure a steady and democratic future for Syria and all its citizens, and we certainly wish that it would lead to a state for all its citizens with a constitution and equal rights for all. But right now, we are in a very dangerous situation.”
“The current government in Damascus does not extend its control to the entirety of Syria, nor did it manage to take control over all of the former regime’s weapons,” he added. “Many extremist groups are being established, [and] many crimes have been carried out against minorities and women. We see more and more Islamist involvement in universities and such.”
The chaotic situation might be an indication of what could happen, including a regrouping of ISIS and its violent campaigns against minorities, the official said.
Regarding Israel, the official said he needed to remain anonymous “due to the circumstances.”
Nevertheless, he said: “It is an honor to appear in your media. The Jewish people are an ancient nation in our region. They had an important role since the times of Abraham. They had prophets and, later on, philosophers, historicists, and scientists. The Jewish people can make great things in our region and play important roles in sustaining the peace and stability in our region.”
“Unfortunately, the current political prospects make it difficult for us to stand together and cooperate openly,” the official said.
“As for the State of Israel, it is a strong country with many capabilities – political, economic, military – and it can help bring an end to terrorism and establish sustainable peace in the region, and we wish Israel and the Jewish people will play this important role.”