ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) on Wednesday held a meeting in Damascus with the Swedish embassy to discuss the situation in northeast Syria (Rojava), including ongoing Turkish attacks, according to the council.
The SDC delegation was received by Jessica Svardstrom, Charge d'Affaires of Sweden’s embassy in Lebanon and Syria.
“The meeting focused on developments in Syria in general, with emphasis on the situation in the north and east of the country,” read a statement from the SDC, the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - de facto army of Rojava.
SDC added that Svardstrom inquired about the progress of dialogue and ongoing talks between the Kurdish authorities and the new administration in Damascus as well as “relations and dialogue with Turkey.”
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa recently met with American mediation to discuss the future of the SDF and Rojava. Abdi has said that the meeting was positive, adding that there are ongoing negotiations regarding the issues.
“The delegation added that there are challenges related to external interventions, especially from the Turkish side, which directly affect the stability of north and eastern Syria. They also warned about ongoing media incitement by certain Turkey-affiliated entities, aimed at undermining security in the region through mobilization against the Syrian Democratic Forces,” the SDC said.
Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports, who call themselves the Syrian National Army (SNA), have recently intensified their attacks on the SDF-held areas near Manbij, including the Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge.
The SNA has controlled Manbij and Til Rifaat towns from the SDF since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8.
A coalition of rebels spearheaded by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) spearheaded a blistering offensive against Assad’s regime late November, toppling the regime, days later.
The HTS has not clashed with the SDF and has allowed the US-backed force to remain in control of both Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo.
SDC warned in the meeting with the top Swedish diplomat that “achieving stability in Syria is key to stability in the entire region, warning that the continuation of the current situation could lead to serious consequences at both regional and international levels, particularly in Europe.”
