Syrians call on Turkish military: ‘We welcome you with flowers’

Hundreds of towns living under the occupation and oppression of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have made calls to Turkey saying, “Save us.” The latest message came from Abdulkerim el Fahhel, one of the important tribal chiefs of Manbij. Fahhel said that locals in Syria are looking forward to welcoming the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) with flowers.

The Kurdish Tribal Association in Syria in an official declaration on Saturday stated that they wanted the presence of the TAF and FSA in all PKK-occupied territories.

In a letter to PKK and Democratic Union Party (PYD) terrorists, el-Fahhel wrote, “Leave Manbij.” He also mentioned that some tribal members were released from the prisons of Raqqa because the terrorists were outmaneuvered.

“The people of Manbij want the Turkish military to take control, just as they did in Afrin. The Turkish military targets the PKK/Daesh terrorists and not civilians,” el-Fahhel said. “Civilians ask when will they obtain freedom from the PKK/PYD terrorists. The Turkish military will have full support of the public during the Manbij operation,” he added.

Abdulkerim El-Fahhel, who represents seventy percent of the tribal Manbij population, stated that the PKK/PYD terrorist organization occupied the villages in Manbij and its so-called leaders had confiscated and seized control of the homes and farms of locals. El-Fahhel said that the PKK/PYD terrorists force people to protest against the TAF and FSA and arrests those who do not oblige.

“More than four thousand have been martyred in the fight against PKK/PYD/Daesh terrorists” and “Americans should also leave the region along with PKK/PYD terrorists,” he said. “We want the TAF and FSA to control the security of the region and US soldiers are not welcome here,” he added.

Syrian residents of Tal Rifaat city in the northern Aleppo province held a rally on Saturday demanding an Afrin-type Turkish military operation against the PKK/YPG terrorist group in their city.

Protesters blocked the road between Azaz city and Sijo town amid calls for Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch to include Tal Rifaat.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.