President of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council Elham Ahmad was hosted by the Newlines Institute For Strategy and Policy in a panel discussion on the current situation in Syria, especially the Turkish threats, economic crisis, and the fight against ISIS.
Elham Ahmad said that Turkey is attempting to get a “green light” from Iran, Russia, and the United States for a new incursion into Syria, claiming that they want to create a “safe zone” along the border areas. However, the safe zone would displace the region’s indigenous people and replace them with Syrian refugees from other parts of Syria.
Ahmad further stated that, although the Autonomous Administration is happy with the General License 22 sanctions relief, it is impossible to attract investment into the region due to Turkish threats and continued instability and security concerns.
The issue of the Turkish-occupied regions was also discussed, with Ahmad commenting on the continued targeting of ISIS leadership in Turkish-occupied areas of Syria, and the general presence of terrorist organizations, such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, especially in Afrin.