Irbil - Asharq Al-Awsat

Joint chief of the Syrian Democratic Council announced that his forces will become part of the Syrian army after a settlement is reached in the war-torn country.

Riyad Darrar announced that the army will then be tasked with arming the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

He said of the US-backed SDF: “The US remained true to its word and its is working on eliminating ISIS until a political settlement is achieved in Syria.”

“Until stability is reached, we can say that the Americans have the right to translate their words into actions and they should withdraw from the country as they did in Iraq where they set a deadline for their departure,” he added.

He said that the SDF is part of a joint alliance with the Americans, stressing: “We have remained true to our mission and we only used their weapons in the confrontation against extremism and terror.”

“When the Syrian settlement is achieved, the SDF will become part of the Syrian army,” Darrar stressed.

“We are working towards peace in Syria, not a confrontation with any Syrian side. We are building ourselves and our regions. We are preserving them in times of peace and stability until the time of real negotiations arrives,” he explained.

“If we are headed towards a united federal Syria, then I believe there is no need for our weapons and forces because they will become part of the army,” he stated.

Addressing Turkish criticism of the SDF, he said that Ankara is being delusional if it thinks that the US will withdraw if arms from the forces.

He dismissed its wishes, saying that the SDF will not relent to Turkish demands.

The SDF was formed in October 2015 with a Kurdish majority and with the aim of fighting ISIS that had at the time held large swathes of northern and northeastern Syria.

In Ankara meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim hoped during a press conference that the US would sever as soon as possible its partnership with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units.

He made his remarks ahead of traveling to London on an official visit where he is scheduled to meet with his British counterpart Theresa May.

He hoped that Washington would cut ties with the “terrorist organization and return to its real partners and allies,” reported the Anadolu news agency.

In addition, he said that Ankara had repeatedly warned the US against sending reinforcements to the “terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)”.

The US had replied that its use of those terrorist groups in the war against terror was not an option, but a necessity, noted Yildirim.

He said that the current phase in the region is witnessing the demise of ISIS, which means that the US no longer needs to send reinforcements to the PKK.