Arab tribes in Syria mull action against YPG/PKK

By Adham Kako, Levent Tok

AZAZ/ANKARA

The Arab tribes, whose lands are under the occupation of YPG/PKK terrorist group, began to take some measures following the U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria, according to local sources.

After the U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal, the leaders of the Syrian Arab tribes started to take some measures. Syrian Tribal Assembly will hold a congress on Wednesday that will gather representatives from 150 tribes under an institutional roof.

In a statement, the Syrian Tribal Assembly said a founder committee of 400 people will meet representatives from various Syrian provinces in opposition-held Azaz, northwestern Syria.

"By founding an institutional political and/or military force composed of the representatives of all Syrian provinces, [the assembly] will seek to disrupt PKK-PYD/YPG terror organization's activities in the Syrian territory, particularly in eastern Euphrates River, ensuring the governing of the lands by its actual owners and have a say in Syria's future as its main objectives," the statement read.

The statement pointed out that the assembly was supported by the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and said one of the first activities of the assembly would be "objecting to the U.S. introduction of terror groups as the representatives of Kurdish people."

It was noted that another objective of the assembly would be to ensure the inclusion of the Kurdish tribes -- which are opposing the YPG/PKK -- into the assembly, in addition to the Arab and Turkmen tribes.

On the other hand, the tribes from which YPG/PKK gathered fighters by using the name SDF are planning to leave the terror group’s structure. By contacting Free Syrian Army (FSA), these tribes stated that they wanted to operate alongside Turkey.

- US withdrawal

The U.S. media early Thursday stated that the U.S. army planned to withdraw some 2,000 soldiers positioned in Syria.

Also, the U.S. President Donald Trump made a statement on social media, saying: "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, for her part, said: "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign."

Citing officials, the U.S. media reported that the U.S. State Department would evacuate all its personnel in Syria within 24 hours, while Washington is aiming to withdraw troops within 60 to 100 days.

According to the claims on London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' website, the U.S. commanders informed the ringleaders of YPG/PKK -- which use SDF title -- that they would withdraw from all the regions of Manbij and Eastern Euphrates.

Washington's calendar for withdrawal from Syria -- whether it will withdraw all of its forces -- its relationship with YPG/PKK and how and when it will reclaim the weapons given to the terror group as promised to Ankara are several questions yet to be answered.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.

Syria has just begun to emerge from a devastating civil war that began in early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

UN officials say hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.

* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara.