MOSCOW,— Syrian Kurds aim to prevent Ankara from taking Syrian territories liberated from Islamic State under its control, saying they will fight Turkish “occupants” until they leave the country.

Syrian Kurds will not cede their territories, including the city of Manbij, to the control of Turkey and will defend them if Turkey attacks, President of Kobani Canton in Syrian Kurdistan Anwar Muslim told Sputnik.

“Manbij is autonomous now. We were helping locals to liberate it from the Islamic State [Daesh]. If they ask us again, we will help, of course. We will not put Manbij under Turkish control,” Muslim said.

He added that sometimes Turkey resorted to provocations and stressed that Kurds had the right to self-defense.

“We regard Turkey, which sent its troops to Syria, as occupants. Sooner or later they will have to leave Syria,” Muslim noted.

Syrian Kurds are conducting a successful offensive, coming close to Syria’s northern city of Raqqa, a stronghold of the Islamic State group, and planning to fully liberate the city from Daesh militants, Anwar Muslim told Sputnik on Tuesday.

“We are carrying out a successful offensive, nearing Raqqa, we are coming closer to the city… We will fully liberate it soon … Our goal is to liberate not only Raqqa, but all territories seized by the IS,” Muslim said.

The success of the offensive is ensured by the support of many local residents, including from the Arabic tribes, with dozens and hundreds of people joining the Kurdish forces every day, the official said.

According to Muslim, Kurds are planning to create an autonomy of local residents in Raqqa similar to “what was created in the Syrian city of Manbij after it was cleared from the IS.”

The Wrath of Euphrates operation, aimed at liberating Raqqa from the IS, was launched in November 2016 by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the second stage of the operation began on December 10, 2016.

On Monday, representative to Russia of Northern Syria’s Rojava Kurdish region Rodi Osman told Sputnik that the Syrian Kurds were capable of liberating Raqqa on their own without Turkey’s participation.

In response, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that seizure of Raqqa by the Kurdish forces such as the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Popular Defense Units (YPG) after the city’s liberation from the Islamic State was a threat to Turkey.

On August 24, 2016, Turkey has launched an incursion into northern Syria, in an area some 100 km (60 miles) east of Afrin to stop the US-backed Kurdish YPG forces from extending areas under their control and connecting Syrian Kurdistan’s Kobani and Hasaka in the east with Afrin canton in the west.

Together with the Syrian opposition Turkey took over the city of Jarabulus in north Syria and is currently attacking the al-Bab city.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia to be related to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, seen as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

Turkey fears the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syrian Kurdistan — similar to the Kurdish region in Iraqi Kurdistan — would spur the separatist ambitions of Turkey’s own Kurds.

U.S regards the Kurdish PYD and its powerful military wing YPG of Syrian Kurdistan as key ally against Islamic State and the most effective fighting force against IS in Syria and has provided them with arms, air support as well as the military advisers. The Kurdish militia has seized swathes of Syria from IS.

Syrian Kurdistan’s ruling PYD has established three autonomous zones, or Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan in 2013. On March 17, 2016 Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan.

Syrian Kurds on Dec. 30, 2016 have approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in Syrian Kurdistan, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they have controlled during the civil war.

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