We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TURKEY SYRIA KURDS ELECTION
HEADLINE: US-backed Kurds postpone elections in Syria amid Turkish threats
TEASER: Vote pushed to at least August; Ankara claims the poll is a step toward independence
PUBLISHED AT: (6/6/24 & 1:13p)
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Berke Bas DO NOT USE NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR; CAW
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Agencies AFP, Turkish Defense Ministry., US State Department
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO _x_
TRT: 3:24
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE:
UPDATE: DO NOT USE BERKE BAS NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.))
((INTRO:)) [[ A U.S.-backed Kurdish group says it has postponed controversial elections in northern Syria in the face of warnings from Ankara that the poll is a step toward independence. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. ]]
(((NARRATOR))
United States-backed Syrian Kurdish groups announced Thursday June polls will be postponed until August. The move comes amid warnings from Turkey that the elections pose a national security threat. Analysts say the election for mayors in northeastern Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, is crucial for the Kurdish group. They say the SDF seeks to consolidate and broaden its support in the wider community through what it calls its social pact, which includes a commitment to elections.
[[RADIO VERSION: Fabrice Balanche is a specialist on the region at Lyon University.]]
((Fabrice Balanche, Lyon University - Male in English))((Via Zoom))
“They wanted to organize elections, but each time, it was postponed because of the war, because of security reasons. And now, because they have done this new social pact, social agreement with the population, they want to stabilize the administration, and they want to organize this election to get more legitimacy.”
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory CG: Defense Ministry))
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will not allow the creation of what he describes as a terror state on Turkey's border. ((end courtesy)) Ankara accuses the SDF of having links to the Kurdish insurgents fighting Turkish forces for decades.
Analysts say Ankara sees the polls as a threat to both Turkey and Syria's territorial integrity.
[[RADIO VERSION: Murat Aslan is with the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, a research group in Ankara.]]
((Murat Aslan, Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research - male in English)) ((Zoom))
“It's a clear challenge to the integrity and unity of Syria. Once any party in Syria with an armed group starts doing elections, well, it's a challenge, especially for the future of Syrians, because they will claim autonomy first, then maybe a federation, then a confederation, then independence, so there's no end.”
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory cg. Defense Ministry))
For months, Ankara has been threatening to launch an attack against the SDF. ((end courtesy)) The U.S. military, however, is working with the Kurdish group in battling Islamic State. This support by Washington has outraged Ankara. Analysts warn elections threaten to further damage U.S.-Turkish relations.
[[RADIO VERSION: Asli Aydintasbas is an analyst with the Brookings Institution in Washington.]]
((Asli Aydintasbas- Brookings Institution ((Female in English)) ((Zoom))
“There are a number of issues in the bilateral relationship. And chief among these is U.S. support for Syrian Kurds. I think from a U.S. perspective, elections just make it a tidbit harder to manage relations with Turkey...
...and they worry that, SDF holding elections could trigger a sort of a dramatic response from Turkey, perhaps an incursion.”
((NARRATOR))
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory cg. State Department))
Washington said the situation is not conducive to fair elections and called for them to be postponed. ((end courtesy))
Turkish forces, meanwhile, have been bombarding the Syrian Kurdish-controlled region along with targeting leading figures. Analysts warn the attacks will increase until the polls are cancelled.
[[RADIO VERSION: Aydin Selcen is a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s Medyascope news portal.]]
((Aydin Selcen, Foreign Policy Analyst - Male in English – VOA Original))
“Land-to-land bombings with Howitzers from the Turkish side of the border to the civilian infrastructure and also to some targets of choice with armed drones, perhaps we can see an increase in these operations.”
((NARRATOR))
Ankara will likely step up its military pressure on the SDF but at the same time is looking to Washington to use its influence to get the polls cancelled.
((Dorian Jones, VOA News, Istanbul))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJune 6, 2024 13:43 EDT
BylineDorian Jones
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
