"All this information about the negotiations on the surrender of Afrin to the Syrian authorities is untrue. Attacks on Afrin occur because we do not intend to transfer this territory to the Syrian regime."

According to Mustafa, representatives of the PYD appealed to the Syrian army to take part in the protection of Afrin from the Turkish armed forces that have been conducting an operation there since January 20, Sputnik news agency reported.

"We called on the Syrian government forces to protect Afrin. We have been fighting for the unity of Syria for 6 years already. The Syrian authorities claimed that they would repulse the attack of Turkey, if it happens. Therefore, when the Turkish attacks began, we called on the leadership of Syria to speak out in defense of Afrin, which is part of the Syrian state. Why do the Syrian authorities keep silent about Afrin? We are conducting diplomatic negotiations in order to put an end to the attacks on Afrin, but they have not yielded results so far," she said.

Since January 20, Turkey has been conducting a military operation in Syria's Afrin, an area is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces-affiliated and US-backed YPG militias, which Ankara considers to be linked with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Damascus has firmly condemned the operation as an assault on Syria's sovereignty.

Reporter’s code: 50101