‘Turkish op in the east of the Euphrates is PKK’s worst nightmare’

Ersin Çelik
15:4710/12/2018, Pazartesi
U: 10/12/2018, Pazartesi
Yeni Şafak
File photo
File photo

Speaking exclusively to Yeni Şafak daily, Talal Sillo said that a Turkish operation in the east of the Euphrates River is the PKK’s 'worst nightmare'

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group knows it cannot hold the regions under its occupation in Syria, relying only on the U.S.’s political and diplomatic prowess to “block a possible operation” by Turkey, according to a prominent defector from the terror group.

Speaking exclusively to Yeni Şafak daily, Talal Sillo, who served for two years as the terror group’s spokesman, said that a Turkish operation in the east of the Euphrates River is the PKK’s “worst nightmare.”

Sillo, a former high-ranking commander and spokesperson of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who defected from the terrorist group last month, is currently in Turkey.

He divulged details of the U.S. arming terrorist groups in the region and what some U.S. officials thought about the PKK/PYD's presence in northern Syria.

Over Turkey’s objections, the U.S. has provided the PKK/PYD with arms, calling it an ally in the fight against Daesh, ignoring its status as a terrorist group, he stated.

He also explained how the PKK-terrorist dominated force was formed and how the U.S. made a controversial deal to allow Daesh terrorists to leave the city of Raqqah before it was liberated.


The old structure will be liquidated

Sillo said that the U.S.’s true intentions behind placing a $12-million bounty over the heads of so-called PKK commanders Murat Karayılan, Duran Kalkan and Cemil Bayık are very clear.

“It was to send a message inside the terror group to move Shahin Cilo into the spotlight. Abdullah Öcalan sent the U.S. a message through his lawyers, saying ‘Shahin Cilo is my successor. If you want to maintain presence in the region for the long term, your task is to protect him.’ Thus, the PKK’s center will be Syria from now on and the old structure will be liquidated by the U.S.”

U.S. trained 50,000 PKK terrorists

The U.S. trained 50,000 terrorists in areas occupied by the PKK in Syria, pointed Silo.

“However, this patchwork army can be dispersed through a small intervention. The SDF is only the banner and the 35,000 of those trained by the U.S are Arabs. They won’t show any resistance. Because Arabs know they’re being used. They trust neither the U.S. nor the PKK. In the same vein, the U.S. and PKK do not trust them. Terrorists who will show resistance are between 10,000 and 12,000.”

Commanders killed, money burnt

The operation carried out by Turkey in Karaçok came as a shock for the PKK terror group, said Tala Silo.

“Everyone in the organization realized ‘everything has come to an end. Turkey launched its operation and the Syrian Kurdistan dream is over.’ News of a possible aerial operation resulted in headquarters being evacuated. In the following 10 days, we slept in camouflaged positions in the desert.”

Silo said that 75 terrorists were killed in the Karaçok bombings.

“Those are mostly key names. Nalin, the Syria responsible for the PKK’s so-called women unit, the YPJ, was also killed in the attack. Hundreds of millions of dollars in PKK money were burned in the attack. That operation dealt a large blow to the organization in every respect.”

“He’s personally in charge of money and weapons”

The U.S. is controlling the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syria with the help of a terrorist on Turkey’s most-wanted list, said Sillo.

Shahin Cilo, who’s known as terror ringleader Abdullah Öcalan’s foster son and whose real name is Ferhat Abdi Shahin, was tasked along with Bahoz Erdal of managing the PKK’s Syria arm since the beginning of the Syrian war.

Wıth the start of the American intervention in Syria in 2015, Shahin answered directly to U.S. Special Envoy Brett Mcgurk and military officials as the PKK’s leading commander in charge of running operations from behind the scenes.

Shahin, who’s on Turkey’s most-wanted list, was personally in charge of receiving money, weapons, munitions and other aid.

He was spotted in 2017 with U.S. Special Operations soldiers in Syria’s Mount Karaçok.

After protests by Tukey, the Pentagon finally acknowledged dealing with Shahin, who they called “General Mazlum,” and claimed he was a commander of the SDF in a scandalous statement.

#PKK
#Syria
#US
#Turkey
#Terrorists
#East of Euphrates