Syrian Turkmen Council head Dr. Muhammed Vecih Cuma
Syrian Turkmen Council head Dr. Muhammed Vecih Cuma stated that the locals of Syria’s Manbij, which is currently occupied by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists, were reaching breaking point.
“Through successful diplomacy, Turkey saved the lives of people in Idlib. It is doing the same in Manbij. That is why it is showing such great patience. If there is an operation, Manbij locals will stand among the ranks of Turkish troops and the Free Syrian Army (FSA),” Cuma said in an exclusive interview with Yeni Şafak daily.
Terror group hides behind U.S. flags
“The U.S. is trying to preoccupy Turkey with the terrorists’ trenches. The PKK is hiding behind U.S. flags in Manbij. If Americans weren’t there, and if they didn’t have arms or political support, the locals would have cleared the area of those terrorists. Turkey is showing this much patience to ensure a non-military political solution in which civilians are not harmed. That is why it is using a diplomatic path,” he added.
The U.S. has established 13 operational military bases in the YPG/PKK controlled territories including Hasakah, Raqqa, Manbij, Kobani and Tal-Abyad in Syria.
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists who carried out the deadly attack against a Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) personnel carrier in the province of Batman on Friday had received training from U.S. soldiers on making advanced improvised explosive devices (IEDs).On Thursday an improvised explosive planted by PKK terrorists detonated when an armored military vehicle passed through, martyring eight soldiers.Bomb capable of breaking through Kobra-1 armor The size of the crater left behind by the Batman bombing shows that the PKK terror organization received training to upgrade their IEDs in order to be able to penetrate the fortified armors and ballistic protections capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces’ armored personnel carriers. Experts state that the Kobra-1 armored vehicles provide little protection against IEDs, as seen by the level of damage sustained by the personnel carrier following the Batman attack, raising calls for the wider use of the Kobra 2 and Ejder armors which are capable of withstanding such attacks.Training terrorists The Batman terror attack brought back to the fore U.S. support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF is dominated by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which follows the leftist ideology of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey.A photo shared in February by anti-Daesh coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon showed training provided to SDF terrorists on the use of explosives.OIC condemns PKK terrorist attack in TurkeyTurks march to condemn terrorist attack in Batman The tweet is an open admission that U.S. soldiers indeed provided IED training to PKK terrorists.With their newly-acquired American training, PKK terrorists are developing new tactics to counter the measures taken by Turkey, of which the Batman terror attack was just an example of “larger scale attacks.” The U.S. currently provides military training to PKK/PYD terrorists in 20 bases across Syria’s northeast. It is thought that close to 150 kilograms of explosives were used in the Batman terrorist attack judging by the size of the crater left at the site.Eight Turkish soldiers were martyred and two others wounded Thursday in the PKK terrorist attack in Batman, according to local sources.The terrorists detonated an improvised explosive as an armored military vehicle passed by.In a statement, the Batman Governor’s Office said four soldiers were martyred and five others were wounded in the rural area of Gercus district.Later, four soldiers succumbed to their wounds at the Batman Regional State Hospital, said a health officer, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The wounded soldiers were undergoing treatment, the source added.An operation was launched in the area to nab the terrorists responsible for the deadly attack.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.
US trained PKK terrorists behind bombing that martyred eight Turkish soldiers
After Turkey and the U.S. agreed this June to a roadmap agreement for removal of the YPG/PKK terror organization from Manbij, the terror group has, to the contrary, stepped up its presence and activities in the area.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesman İbrahim Kalın on Oct. 3 said Washington was stalling over the establishment of joint patrols with Turkey in the northern Syrian town of Manbij which the two countries agreed upon, and Ankara sees the delay as a growing problem.
Afrin tactics being used in Manbij
“The Americans are not fulfilling the agreement they signed. There were things they had to do, and none of it has been done. On the contrary, trenches are being dug in Manbij by the terrorists. Even though promises were made that the terror group would leave Manbij, the PKK is using the same methods used in Afrin to dig trenches that are 30 kilometers long around the city,” Cuma said.
Turkey will never stop fighting against terror and it is determined to continue its fight until the last terrorist is “neutralized,” the country’s defense minister said on Friday.Hulusi Akar, the minister, was in Turkish capital Ankara to pay a visit to the family of gendarme sergeant Ozgur Can Ince, who was among eight soldiers martyred in a PKK terrorist attack in southeastern province of Batman.On Thursday morning, PKK terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device planted on a road when a Turkish military vehicle was passing through the area, leaving eight soldiers martyred and another seriously injured."Turkey will continue fight against terror until the last terrorist will be neutralized. We can't stop or wait," Akar said."We can't stop. Turkish armed forces will continue their fight against terror with commitment and determination as they have been doing it for long," he stated.During its 30-year campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including numerous women and children.YPG/PKK terror group digging in around Manbij, SyriaTurkey neutralizes 3 PKK terrorists in N. IraqIraq condemns PKK attack in southeastern Turkey'Turkey will rid itself of PKK terrorists'PKK turns Syria into drug farm under US protection
'Turkey to never stop fight against terror'
Qandil cadre running Manbij
“Nothing has changed for Manbij locals. They are being oppressed. The so-called 25-year-old administrators from Qandil are running Manbij. There is no justice or democracy there, only oppression and pressure. We found out that some locals have started to rally because they are sick of the oppression. I think that in the coming days, community mobilization will increase,” he added.
Northern Iraq’s Qandil Mountains are considered as the main base of the PKK.
Terror group utilizing trench warfare tactics
The terrorist group has completed the construction of trenches and embankments in areas surrounding the Manbij city center. The PKK has formed embankments at various depths in front of trenches to make up a series of lines stretching nearly 30 kilometers (18.06 miles). The YPG/PKK terrorists also built tunnels linking trenches to use during possible combat.
The PYD and its military YPG wing are Syrian branches of the PKK, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years.
“The trenches the terror group has dug will be futile. When the operation is launched, the terrorists will lose. They are digging trenches and preparing, but really, they are hiding behind the U.S. flag. The terrorists there are in control of everything and they gain this power from the U.S.’s weapons and planes. The U.S. has given the terrorists more than 19,000 trucks worth of arms and these are being used against the locals,” Cuma said.
Various shots from ditches dug by the terrorist group YPG/PKK around Syria's Manbij to block operations by Turkish-led forces in the city on October 05, 2018.
YPG/PKK dig ditches around Manbij in fear of Turkish forces
The U.S. has yet to fulfill its promises given to Turkey about Manbij, Syria, with the YPG/PKK terror group surrounding the district center with trenches and embankments.After Turkey and the U.S. agreed this June to a roadmap agreement for removal of the YPG/PKK terror organization from Manbij, the terror group has to the contrary stepped up its presence and activities in the area, according to Anadolu Agency reporting. The terrorist group has completed the construction of trenches and embankments in areas surrounding the entire city center as if it has no intention of leaving.Highlighting problems with the agreement, Turkish presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday: "Delaying tactics started becoming a growing problem. The Manbij roadmap should be implemented as soon as possible."Video: YPG/PKK dig ditches around Manbij in fear of Turkish forcesThe terror organization formed embankments at various depths in front of trenches to make up a series of lines stretching nearly 30 kilometers (18.06 miles).The trenches can be clearly seen from the sky in satellite photos taken by Anadolu Agency.The YPG/PKK terrorists also built tunnels linking trenches to use during possible combat.The terror group, using the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) label, organizes "defense of Manbij" meetings under the terror leadership from the PKK headquarters in Mt. Qandil, Iraq. Buildup next to areas liberated by TurkeyThe YPG is the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK, whose 30-year terror campaign in Turkey has taken some 40,000 lives.Senior PKK/YPG terrorists train newly joined members of the terror group who escaped from Afrin -- liberated by Turkish-led forces this March -- to Manbij with U.S. support under the SDF umbrella.Turkey has long objected to U.S. support for the YPG/PKK.While the U.S. recognizes the PKK as a terrorist group, it has claimed the YPG is a “reliable ally” in the fight against Daesh, ignoring Turkey’s evidence that it is actually a PKK branch.The YPG/PKK terror group is also in the midst of a military buildup along Manbij's border with areas liberated by Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016-2017.The Turkish army first started patrolling on June 18 in Manbij with U.S. troops in line with a previously agreed roadmap for eliminating terrorists and stabilizing the area. So far the two armies have done 55 patrols in the region.The Manbij roadmap was first announced after a meeting in Washington between Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.The deal focuses on the withdrawal of PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and stability in the region.Turkey has said the presence of terrorist forces near its border constitute a threat, and has launched military operations and other efforts to rid the region of terrorists.U.S. military support for the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Manbij has strained ties between Ankara and Washington and has led to fears of military clashes between the two NATO allies, since there are roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in the city.
YPG/PKK terror group digging in around Manbij, Syria