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The support of YPG/PKK terrorist groups by the U.S. and European countries has led to more deaths and destruction in Syria, head of a Syriac non-governmental organization said.
"The time has come for Americans and Europeans to realize that supporting the YPG, with its current separatist agenda, does not lead to peace and security in Syria, but in fact cause more death and destruction, with the potential of a spill-over effect to neighboring regions," said Johny Messo, president of World Council of Arameans (Syriacs), in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.
"Among the victims of such an irresponsible policy are Syria's indigenous Aramean people, who have been and continue to be threatened, intimidated and occasionally even eliminated (intellectually and physically) by the YPG," Messo added.
Messo said YPG/PKK terrorists have demanded the closure of Aramean and Armenian schools in the Derik and Darbasiyah regions of Syria.
"Essentially, they do this because the native Arameans reject their ongoing demands," he said.
Messo said these demands include the Kurdish language and textbooks to be incorporated in the school curriculum and YPG/PKK also expect the Arameans to ask for a permit or license for their schools to exist.
"The fact that the Aramean Christians and other vulnerable minorities in the region do not recognize the separatist PYD/YPG as the rulers of Northeast Syria is a thorn in the eye for them," he said.
"Threatening to shut down the schools of the remaining native Arameans of Northeast Syria is outrageous, scandalous and shameful," Messo stressed.
- YPG/PKK shutting down schools of Arameans
He said the World Council of Arameans "strongly condemns such acts of terror", and will do whatever it takes to prevent such developments.
"Shutting down independent schools of vulnerable minorities, such as the Arameans, exposes the exclusivist and destructive ideology, agenda and objectives of the YPG," Messo said.
The YPG/PKK terror group has detained Arabs in northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli who announced their candidacy for the Assad regime's general elections in September, sources in Syria told Anadolu Agency. Qamishli remains under occupation of the terror group.According to the sources, the Assad regime had formed an election bureau in Qamishli in coordination with the YPG/PKK terror group. A total of 17 independent Arab candidates, known for their closeness to the regime, then applied to the bureau for candidacy; however, the YPG/PKK raided their homes and detained them despite the fact that their candidacy had been approved.The Assad regime recently announced it would hold general elections for the first time since the start of the civil war. For this reason, the regime and YPG/PKK terror group expedited their talks that had been continuing for a while.In their previous meeting last week, the YPG/PKK and the Assad regime were unable to agree on the terror group's demands for autonomy.In July, the YPG/PKK terrorist group agreed to hand responsibility for several of Syria’s most lucrative oilfields over to the regime, wrapping up several weeks of negotiations. Later, ties between the regime and the organization began to strengthen.According to map calculations made by Anadolu Agency, the Assad regime controls about 59 percent of Syria, while the YPG/PKK terror group controls 27.7 percent of the country.
YPG/PKK detain Arab candidates for Assad regime polls
Turkish security forces have dealt a heavy blow on YPG/PKK terrorists in recent months in operations targeting senior terror operatives, including those on a most wanted list of Turkey’s Interior Ministry, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.The counter-terrorism operations have been jointly carried out by National Intelligence Service (MIT), Turkish Armed Forces, gendarmerie and police forces in eastern and southeastern Turkey, targeting terrorist bases and weapon depots.The operations also targeted terrorist positions in northern Iraq and Mt. Qandil region.Soldier martyred by PKK terrorists in SE TurkeySenior YPG/PKK terrorists neutralizedSenior terror operatives in the terror group including many on the wanted list of Turkey’s Interior Ministry have been neutralized in eastern, southern, and southeastern Turkey.Gazi Bahadir, codenamed Roni, was among four terrorists neutralized on July 1 in Beytussebap district of southeastern Sirnak province.Serkan Tan, codenamed Serdar, who was sought on "green category" on the most wanted list, was neutralized on July 8. Tan was "responsible for public relations and finance in Van province".Five PKK terrorists 'neutralized' in eastern TurkeyYunus Dalgin, codenamed Mervan, who was named under the wanted terrorist list's grey category, was neutralized in Nazimiye district of eastern Tunceli province on July 10.Sefer Acar, a terrorist named in the top red coded wanted list, was among terrorists who were neutralized in an operation in eastern Bitlis province. Acar was the mastermind of a PKK attack in northern Iraq on a gendarmerie helicopter which martyred 15 Turkish soldiers.Hasan Cakmak, codenamed Delil Karakocan, was one of the three terrorists killed in the airstrikes in northern Iraq on July 13. Cakmak was "the logistics coordinator" of the PKK.Turkey 'neutralizes' most wanted PKK terrorist abroadMehmet Yakisir, codenamed Zeynel, the terrorist group’s top member in the Black Sea region, was killed on July 15.Yakisir, who was in the red category of Turkey’s wanted list, had killed 15-year-old Eren Bulbul last August in Macka district, Trabzon province.Aram Civan codenamed Osman Gulen -- who was neutralized on July 23 in southeastern Diyarbakir -- was in the grey category of the Interior Ministry’s most wanted list.Hulya Eroglu was in the “red category” on the most wanted list and among the 31 terrorists killed during a counter-terrorism operation in Bestler-Dereler region of Sirnak province.PKK seen behind attack on Turkey’s Dutch ConsulateAnother "red-category" terrorist, Menafi Bayazit, was killed on Dec. 11, 2017 in Sirnak.Ibrahim Coban, codenamed Atakan Mahir, is a terrorist included in the Turkish Interior Ministry’s red category of wanted terrorists and has been the so-called Dersim region head of the organization for the past 25 years. He was killed on August 11 in eastern Tunceli province.A senior PKK/KCK figure in Sinjar province, Ismail Ozden, codenamed Mam Zeki Sengali, was neutralized in a joint operation by Turkish Armed Forces and MIT in Sinjar.Ozden, 66, was in the red-category on the most wanted list and he reportedly "neutralized" in an operation abroad.
Terrorist YPG/PKK suffers heavy blow in Turkey, abroad
Last week the YPG/PKK terror group shut down three Assyrian schools in parts of northeastern Syria under its control on grounds that the targeted schools did not have a license.
Messo said in the recent years, Syria's indigenous Arameans (Syriacs) were deliberately targeted in a number of ways by the YPG/PKK.
He said the terrorists have threatened, intimidated, oppressed and even killed Arameans in the region.
"Forcing the closure of independent intellectual institutions, which had already been recognized by the state, flies by all means in the face of international law and reveals the double-speak of the YPG with regard to human rights, civil liberties and especially a so-called free, democratic and pluralistic region they continue to promote," Messo added.
According to map calculations made by Anadolu Agency, the Bashar al-Assad regime controls about 59 percent of Syria, while the YPG/PKK terror group controls 27.7 percent of the country.
The YPG/PKK is Syrian branch of the PKK -- recognized as a terror group by the U.S., EU, and Turkey.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has claimed some 40,000 lives, including many women and children.