By Ethem Emre Ozcan and Esref Musa
TEL ABYAD, Syria (AA) – Arab tribes in Raqqa, northern Syria vowed on Monday to reclaim their lands, which have been under the occupation of the terrorist group PKK/YPG since 2017.
Representatives of Raqqa’s Arab tribes convened in the liberated district of Tel Abyad, emphasizing their collective commitment to reclaim the region.
Abu Uday Jerbo, head of the Tel Abyad Tribal and Clan Council, called on residents of Raqqa, especially those aligned with terrorists, to leave the group and join efforts to restore unity and peace to the region. Officials in neighboring Türkiye have also stressed that terrorist groups, in particular the PKK/YPG, have no place in the region, and should be cleared from Syria in the wake of the end of the Assad regime.
Mohamed Abu Hamza Madan, a military commander from the Raqqa tribes, reaffirmed the determination of the tribes to free Raqqa from the control of the terrorist PKK/YPG.
He stressed that their goal is to end the oppression imposed by the group, protect the region’s infrastructure, and restore state institutions.
Madan highlighted that Raqqa is an inseparable part of Syria and urged those involved with the terror group to abandon the organization and return to their communities.
He also called on the US-led coalition forces to stop supporting the PKK/YPG terrorist group, expressing confidence that, once the terrorists are removed, displaced residents would return to their homes and the region would be rebuilt. Turkish officials have also long called on the US to cease its support for the terrorist group.
- Terrorist oppression
Mohamed Abu Nur, a prominent tribal leader, expressed solidarity among the tribes of Raqqa against terrorism. He condemned the crimes committed by the terror group, including killings, theft of public property, arbitrary arrests, and the spread of chaos.
Abu Nur also told how terrorist PKK/YPG forces attacked and killed residents of Raqqa, who protested after the fall of the regime, even targeting and eliminating the injured.
He emphasized that the tribes would not tolerate the continued occupation of their lands, pledging to fight with all available resources until the region was free from the control of the group.
He described the terrorist group as remnants of the collapsed Baath regime and reiterated that the tribes are unwavering in their mission to liberate Raqqa, vowing not to relinquish even an inch of Syrian territory.
Raqqa, a predominantly Arab region, has been under terrorist PKK/YPG occupation since late 2017, with the support of the US.
It has forcibly recruited civilians into its ranks and has prevented many local residents from rebuilding their homes, many of which were destroyed last year by intense coalition airstrikes.
The terrorist YPG/PKK, however, does not provide any public services, while residents accused of having links with the opposition frequently face arbitrary detention.
With the ouster of Syria's Assad regime, the terrorist PKK/YPG has been seeking to exploit the country's instability and power vacuum.
In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.
The YPG is the PKK's offshoot in Syria, an area where for years the group has tried to establish a terrorist corridor along the Turkish border.
In recent years Türkiye has deployed troops and worked with local allies such as the opposition Syrian National Army to prevent this and keep locals and the border safe from terrorist oppression.
*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul