Baladi News - Journals
Ahmad Osman, commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)-affiliated Sultan Murat Brigade, said Friday that the FSA was ready to take part in operations east of the Euphrates River against Kurdish militia.
“Preparations are already underway; we have many well-trained fighters,” he told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
“The only problem is the US troop presence in the region,” he added. “I’m hoping the US withdraws and the Turkish army — backed by the FSA — expels the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] from areas east of the river, where it is pretending to be fighting Daesh [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)].”
“In reality, there is no [ISIL] presence in Raqqah, Al-Hasakah or Tal Abyad; therefore, we can carry out operations there,” Osman said. “But the US wants to remain in this area, meaning that US support for the PKK is hindering operations east of the Euphrates.”
Source: Turkish Minute