However, so far Kurdish forces have resisted the Turkish attacks that were launched on 20 January, which led to the death of dozens of civilians in Afrin, including people displaced by fighting between the Syrian government and rebels in Idlib.

“So those who think Assad should regain control over Afrin and all the border areas across Turkey should think twice because this will never solve the vital security interest of our country,” Ilnur Cevik, wrote on for the pro-government Daily Sabah news website on Tuesday.

“With the Afrin campaign "Operation Olive Branch," Turkey is spoiling the game for Assad, the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] and even for the Americans. Turkey aims to stamp out the PKK from Syria and hand over the lands back to their rightful owners, the Arabs, Turkmen and the Kurds,” Cevik added.

The People’s Protection Units (YPG) has denied any links to the PKK and have pointed out that the Turkish government for years supported IS and continues to support Jihadist groups.

Furthermore, Kurds have warned that Turkey will not leave territories it has occupied since it’s Euphrates Shield operation launched in Augustus 2016.

"The Syrian Kurds blamed Russia for allowing the Turkish attacks that were launched on 20 January. The Russian government told Syrian Kurds that they have two choices: either handover Afrin to the Syrian government, or be bombed by the Turks. The Kurds chose resistance."

“Russia is trying to threaten our people with Turkish aggression in the hope of making our people submit to its conditions,” Senior TEV-DEM official Aldar Xelil wrote in an op-ed for the Lebanese an-Nahar.

Abdulbasit Seyda, former head of the Syrian National Council, who recently left the Syrian opposition due to its support for the Turkish attacks on Afrin, told the Region that the Turks attacks put more pressure on Kurds to hand over Afrin to Assad.

“If Turkey enters an area, it will not leave. Until now they have bases in Mosul in Iraq, and intervened in Cyprus and didn’t leave,” Abdulkarim Omar, head of Foreign Relations in Jazira canton told The Region about the Turkish interference in Syria, and the areas Turkey controls in northern Aleppo since it launched the Euphrates Shield operation in August 2016 and the recent attacks on Afrin.

“The Syrian opposition has given up everything for Turkey in order to fight the Kurds and their rights,” he said about the Syrian opposition that backed Turkish attacks that have cost the lives of dozens of Syrians in Afrin.

Reporter’s code: 50101