PKK leader accuses Russia of stealing role in Syria, urges Moscow to help YPG

Senior PKK figure Duran Kalkan said Tuesday that Russia is stealing the role in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), urging Russia to help the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party's (PYD) armed People's Protection Units (YPG).

Claiming that Russia has no tangible solution program for its anti-ISIS operations, Kalkan said Russia has no alliance with Kurdish groups. "Whoever makes an alliance with YPG-YPJ [Women's Protection Units], that is who is really fighting against ISIS. However, without such an alliance, whoever says that it makes this fight is lying and is a fake. Their aim is not to fight but to steal a role in this issue. That is what Russia has been doing," he said, adding Russia wants to reassert Syrian President Bashar Assad's dominance over the country.

Previously, PYD Co-Chair Salih Muslim made remarks on Oct.1, in which he gave the possibility for cooperation with Russia in the anti-ISIS fight, saying: "The PYD believes the following, and we have shared this view with the United States as well: We will fight alongside whoever fights ISIS. We will stand alongside whoever battles the ISIS mentality." YPG General Commander Sipan Hemo said Wednesday last week that Russia can help their fight against ISIS and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. Speaking to Sputnik Kurdistan, Hemo said they want Russia to provide air support as well as weapons in their fight against ISIS. "We can organize effective cooperation with Russia on the issue. Russia should confront not only ISIS, but also al-Nusra Front, as no significant difference between these two groups exists. Both are branches of al-Qaida and they both should be eliminated."

Russia started conducting airstrikes in Syria in the vicinity of Homs last week, apparently in areas where no ISIS militants exist and are rather controlled by the Free Syrian Army, but Russian officials have denied the claims. Following Assad asking Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance, Putin made his request to Russian parliament to deploy the Russian air force abroad focusing on anti-ISIS airstrikes in Syria. The upper house of parliament unanimously approved and expedited the request.