ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has suggested that its spokesperson Talal Silo has been kidnapped by the Turkish intelligence services.
The mainly Kurdish diverse SDF, whose forces are primarily fighting against ISIS militants in northern and eastern Syria as part of the US-led Global Coalition, said that Silo was still its official spokesperson when he went missing.
Earlier reports emerged that the Turkmen SDF leader had escaped into Turkish territories with the help of the Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.
The SDF said that it has opened an investigation into the “disappearance” of Silo, adding that they will release its findings to the public once completed.
It said that Silo had been under “pressure and provocation” by the Turkish authorities.
These provocations, it said, even sometimes reached the point of “threatening” him through his children who are based in Turkey.
Silo had presented his resignation due to the pressure and problems he encountered, the SDF said. “That is why we believe his disappearance is the result of a special operation by the Turkish intelligence in cooperation with some members of his family members.”
It said that it was Silo’s will to join the SDF and that he continued his duty as its spokesperson in a “professional” manner until the day of his disappearance. It did not say when he was last in contact with the SDF.
It added that Silo has been respected by the SDF leaders and fighters.
Brig. Gen. Silo is a Syrian Turkmen who has fought in the Turkmen Seljuk Brigade, a faction partnered with the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG).
The YPG is the backbone of the SDF forces, and one that Turkey considers an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK is a Kurdish armed group that has waged a decades-long war against the Turkish state seeking greater cultural and national rights for millions of Kurds who live in Turkey’s south and southeast regions of Turkey.
The Global Coalition told Reuters it was “aware of reports of Talal Silo’s apparent departure from the SDF, but have no further details on his current status at this time."
Turkey, who criticizes the US support for the SDF, said that it is “appalled” by reports that the Global Coalition allowed thousands of ISIS fighters and their families being evicted from the then-held Raqqa city when the SDF made its final push in October.
A BBC report said the deal between the SDF and ISIS militants allowed the evacuees to go elsewhere in Syria, and in some cases even as far as Turkey.
France, a member of the coalition, said that international alliance was opposed to the ISIS-transfer deal.
