The Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, stated that his faction is not involved in the ongoing fighting between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

During a recorded interview with Al-Hurra channel on Wednesday, October 30, he added that the Turkish attacks have exceeded the limits of retaliation, pointing out that Turkey’s goal was not merely to respond, but to target “institutions that serve the people in order to force them to emigrate.”

Abdi noted that the attacks targeted vital resources, such as oil sites, electricity and water stations, in addition to public bakeries, causing damage to the local economy and services sector, as well as resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians.

Commenting on the Turkish accusations against the SDF of being an extension of the PKK in Syria, Abdi stated, “This is a traditional excuse that Turkey has been using for ten years to justify its ongoing attacks on our areas.”

Abdi mentioned that over the past year, the frequency of clashes between his forces and the Syrian regime as well as allied militias in Deir Ezzor has increased, considering that they are “committing serious mistakes and are determined to launch attacks, but have not achieved their objectives.”

Ankara considers the SDF to be an extension of the banned and terrorist-designated PKK. The SDF has repeatedly denied any affiliation with the PKK, despite the admission of its leader about the presence of thousands of PKK fighters who came to Syria to fight the Islamic State group under the banner of his forces.

The Commander of the SDF has intensified his media appearances in recent days, having issued a statement last Saturday in which he said that Turkey aims to “eliminate the Autonomous Administration and destabilize our areas.” He also told AFP on Sunday that the Turkish airstrikes could adversely affect dialogue with Turkey, noting that there is an “ongoing mediation” with the Turks to initiate “political and military dialogue.”

On Wednesday, Abdi also stated that the issue of “recognition” of the SDF has led to the dialogue process with the Syrian regime yielding no results. He added to the Associated Press that the main obstacle to reaching an agreement is the Syrian regime government’s “hesitance” to recognize the autonomy of the SDF.

Since last week, Turkey has launched a series of attacks on areas controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria, focusing on service facilities and infrastructure over four days.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Monday that the Turkish army struck 470 targets belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Syria and Iraq since the party executed an attack on a state-owned military industry company in Turkey last week.

According to the most recent statistics issued by the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Turkey has launched a wide-ranging attack on northeastern Syria since October 23, targeting service centers, vital facilities, and infrastructure.

The attacks focused on bakeries, water and electricity stations, oil facilities, hospitals, as well as barriers and checkpoints.

The total number of attacks in Syria, according to Asayish, reached 1,168 ground and aerial assaults, resulting in the deaths of 18 individuals, including 14 civilians, along with 68 injuries, including 54 civilians.