Turkmen leader: Russians want to sit at the table after killing us

The head of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, Abdurrahman Mustafa, said Turkmens will not turn a blind eye to the scenario that Russia is pursuing -- one that is eerily similar to the Bosnian war where they will be forced to sit at the negotiation table with their killers.

Speaking to Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview on Monday, Mustafa stressed that Turkmens in the Bayırbucak region will continue to protect their 1,000-year-old homeland against the attacks being conducted by the Syrian regime in cooperation with the Russians.

Pointing out that the Russians continue to strike the Bayırbucak Turkmen region even though DAESH does not have a presence there, Mustafa said: "If [Russia] fights against DAESH, why does it target [humanitarian] aid trucks? Instead of targeting those trucks, wouldn't [Russia] hit DAESH by going 10 kilometers further?"

He suggested that the international community has blatantly enabled the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria in the anti-DAESH fight, reiterating that Turkmens are also experiencing this struggle. "Why [is it that] DAESH cannot take Azaz? We are fighting against DAESH in Syria. The Sultan Murad Brigade has lost 150 fighters. Nobody knows anything about it," he said, adding that the sensitivity that was shown for Kobani was not extended to Turkmens or the Bayırbucak region.

With regard to the MIT trucks case that became a hot topic once again after the arrests of two prominent journalists, the Turkmen leader said that Turkey has done that which befits it, adding: "I am saying this very clear: If there is resistance in Bayırbucak, that is thanks to Turkey's help. We have historical ties; we have a kinship; we share a bloodline," he said.

He also dismissed allegations that Turkey has links to DAESH, saying: "DAESH slaughters people in Turkey. It conducts deadly attacks in Suruç and Ankara. If [the terrorists] support [Turkey], why does it undermine Turkey? It wants Turkey to keep its hands off Syria by undermining it. It wants Turkey to not support the Syrian revolution. It wants Turkey to not help Turkmens."

Regarding accusations brought by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accused Turkey of being involved in oil smuggling with DAESH, Mustafa said that, on the contrary, the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad – Russia's staunch ally – would be the one to benefit from DAESH's oil smuggling. "You can ask any Syrian you want; they know that there is an alliance between the Syrian regime and DAESH when it comes to oil. Assad agreed with DAESH about running the oil wells. They have never fought with each other on this issue," he said.