YPG Spokesperson Mehmud: No attack will go unresponded

Interview with YPG Spokesperson Nuri Mehmud,, published on the homepage of Kurdish/Turkish News Agency Mezopotamya Agency on 24/11/2022. Article in English.

YPG Spokesperson Mehmud: No attack will go unresponded

From Fırat Can Arslan in Mezopotamya 24/11/2022

Link to the article: http://mezopotamyaajansi35.com/en/components/2622092617/content/view/189682

ANKARA –   YPG Spokesperson Nuri Mehmud explained that Turkey, which attacked Northern and Eastern Syria with the most advanced technology, could not hit any military targets and said, “We have frustrated the technology of the Turkish army.”

Turkey’s airstrikes against Northern and Eastern Syria, launched on November 19, continue. It turned out that the AKP-MHP government, which made the Taksim explosion the reason for the attacks it started on the Kurds, continued its chemical weapons attacks, which it first started in the Federated Kurdistan Region, in Northern and Eastern Syria. According to the balance sheet released by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), chemical weapons were used once in the attack in Tatmeraş village, south of Afrin.

At least 7 citizens lost their lives in the last 48 hours in the attacks, which targeted more than 40 places, including hospitals, fuel stations and oil wells. It was stated that 2 YAT fighters lost their lives while the Anti-Terrorist Unit (YAT), which participated in the operations against ISIS and protected the base, was also targeted by drones in the International Coalition base in the north of Hesekê.

After AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the attacks, which entered the 5th day, will continue with ground attacks in the future, the position of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) including Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) against a possible ground attack is the object of curiosity.

ISIS CELLS ARE PREPARING

Answering the questions of the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) regarding Turkey’s attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria, YPG Spokesperson Nuri Mehmud explained that with the attacks, ISIS is preparing to regain morale and revive itself.

‘AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION IS AN OBSTACLE FOR ERDOĞAN’

According to Mehmud, who emphasized that the war will hurt the peoples of Turkey most, along with the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria, the Erdogan regime sees the Democratic Autonomous Administration as the biggest obstacle to their plans to realize their “fascist and jihadist” projects.

* Let’s start with the air strikes that Turkey launched against Northern and Eastern Syria on November 19th. Turkey openly made the bomb attack in Taksim on November 13, the reason for this attack. Despite the YPG’s statement that it did not carry out the attack itself and the “insistence” of the AKP-MHP government despite the aggressor’s links with DAESH, how do you read the background and main purpose of these air strikes?

The attack in Taksim took place while Erdoğan was on his way to the G20 meeting. Three brothers of that woman died fighting for ISIS. Another brother is working in groups with remnants of Al-Qaeda and ISIS working with Turkish intelligence in the occupied territories. Therefore, this is seen as an action planned by AKP-MHP intelligence. Erdogan has been sending terrorists to Europe recently in the pretext of refugees. In addition to this, there is a relationship he has developed with Russia over the grain issue. He seems to have made secret agreements with governments, forcing NATO countries with the threat of terrorism. That’s why he uses this explosion to attack Rojava and to destroy the Autonomous Administration there, making a strong justification for himself. He sees the autonomous administration here as the biggest obstacle for his own fascist and jihadist projects.

We made statements about the attack in Taksim. This has never been our way. This is a mafia-like method. Only these mafia-like organisations can carry out an attack there depending on an intelligence. This attacks was allowed by someone. While we were fighting ISIS as YPG, the whole world followed our war. Journalists from many countries were there. Since ISIS used civilians as shields during that war, we halted our plans for months to liberate the regions so that civilians would not be harmed. We are the ones who protect the civilians the most against ISIS. We did this not only with words, but by showing it to the world. There are thousands of reports on this.

* There have been some statements about attacks at the international level, including the USA and Russia. Despite calls for restraint to Turkey in the statements, no concrete steps were taken to stop these attacks. Similar situations occurred in the past, especially during the occupation of Afrin. Do you think Turkey is making a bargain over the Kurds?

The governments in the world are doing politics to protect the interests of their governments rather than the interests of their people and countries. That’s why they rely on someone like Erdogan. The peoples there think differently from the governments, but since the interests of the governments are at stake, they can secretly come to an agreement with Erdoğan. After that, they cannot fully comply with the terms of these agreements they have made. The statements that were made are weak statements.

Despite the fact that the Turkish army has the most advanced techniques and receives NATO support, it has not hit any military targets along the 30-kilometer border in Rojava so far. It has completely targeted economic, health and educational institutions. It has targeted our civilian citizens. The guarantor states are also here, but they remain silent. Statements indicates that targeting civilians is a normal situation, as if killing Kurds and other peoples in Northern Syria is not a crime in international law and criteria.

Previously, the people of the world showed a great reaction when the USA withdrew from here. That’s why Trump took a step back. When he withdrew from Iraq, there was no reaction. Why? Because the only true resistance against world terrorism has emerged in Northern and Eastern Syria. The only method of resistance that preserves human dignity and humanity has emerged. That’s why the world gathered around Kobanê and ended ISIS. Now, the Erdogan regime is trying to destroy this system that emerged in the war against ISIS, which developed for democratic honor and a free life with the conscience and morality of the society. If there are some weak statements from the world today, it is because the world’s societies support Kobanê. Kobanê is not like Afghanistan or Iraq. The people of Kobanê are a society that is fighting its own war of honor and defending it for the world at the same time.

* Erdogan began to make statements about possible “ground operations”  against Northern and Eastern Syria. What will SDF and YPG forces do in a possible ground attack?

Erdogan thinks that he achieved “success” during the attacks on Afrin, Girê Spî and Serekanîye. At that time, as we shared with our people before, together with the coalition forces, we fought together against ISIS, which threatened the world and wants to turn it into darkness. In our war strategy at that time, we focused only on fighting against ISIS. Because we did not think that a NATO state would attack us. We didn’t have that much experience, but we gained experience after Afrin, Girê Spî and Serekaniye. We see that on the fourth day of the attacks, Erdogan achieved nothing despite attacking with the most advanced technology. It could not harm our military forces, it was all in vain. We have frustrated the technology of the Turkish army. Peoples of Turkey must defend their own children. We don’t want to fight them. We do not want to send them in coffins from Rojava.

This government is sending the children of the peoples of Turkey to their deaths. We have no technique to stop air strikes, but on land we are a warrior people. We are not just warriors, but a people who will fight for their dignity and freedom. Death is no longer the right concept for us. We will succeed. I say this to the people of Turkey. Erdogan is trying to drag Turkey into chaos. This war will harm the peoples of Turkey the most, along with the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria. The societies here are fighting for freedom and have nothing to lose but their dignity.

What kind of effects will the recent attacks have on Turkey?

We are a force fighting within the framework of legitimate defense. We do not intend to attack inside Turkey’s borders, but we will not leave any attack unanswered.

According to the reports released by the SDF, Turkey also used chemical weapons in Afrin. Were you able to confirm this issue?

Erdoğan, Soylu and the Akar gang allow the use of chemical weapons in the Federated Kurdistan Region. We saw this. They used chemical weapons and cremated the bodies of their own soldiers. Why do they use chemicals? Because they fail. They have been attacking with the most advanced technology for four days, but all attacks have harmed civilians. They’re behaving like a cat in a cage.

There are discussions that Turkey’s attacks will revive ISIS in the region. Are there any mobility among ISIS cells starting with these attacks?

ISIS members imprisoned in our prisons are trying to organise themselves with these attacks. It is obvious that ISIS is in preparation to regain morale and revive itself.