Arab tribes of Raqqa in northern Syria have vowed to take back their lands from the PKK terrorist group's Syrian win YPG, which has occupied the region since 2017.

Representatives of Raqqa's Arab tribes convened in the liberated district of Tal Abyad on Monday, emphasizing their collective commitment to reclaim the region.

Abu Uday Jerbo, head of the Tal Abyad Tribal and Clan Council, called on residents of Raqqa, especially those aligned with terrorists, to leave the group and join efforts to restore unity and peace to the region.

Officials in neighboring Türkiye have also stressed that terrorist groups, in particular the PKK/YPG, have no place in the region, and should be cleared from Syria in the wake of the end of the Assad regime.

Mohamed Abu Hamza Madan, a military commander from the Raqqa tribes, reaffirmed the determination of the tribes to free Raqqa from the control of the PKK/YPG terrorists.

He stressed that their goal is to end the oppression imposed by the group, protect the region's infrastructure and restore state institutions.

Madan highlighted that Raqqa is an inseparable part of Syria and urged those involved with the terrorist group to abandon the organization and return to their communities.

He also called on the U.S.-led coalition forces to stop supporting the PKK/YPG terrorist group, expressing confidence that, once the terrorists are removed, displaced residents would return to their homes and the region would be rebuilt. Turkish officials have also long called on the U.S. to cease its support for the terrorist group.

Terrorist oppression

Mohamed Abu Nur, a prominent tribal leader, expressed solidarity among the tribes of Raqqa against terrorism. He condemned the crimes committed by the terrorist group, including killings, theft of public property, arbitrary arrests and the spread of chaos.

Abu Nur also explained how terrorist PKK/YPG forces attacked and killed residents of Raqqa, who protested after the fall of the regime, even targeting and eliminating the injured.

He emphasized that the tribes would not tolerate the continued occupation of their lands, pledging to fight with all available resources until the region was free from the control of the group.

He described the terrorist group as remnants of the collapsed Baath regime and reiterated that the tribes are unwavering in their mission to liberate Raqqa, vowing not to relinquish even an inch of Syrian territory.

Raqqa, a predominantly Arab region, has been under terrorist PKK/YPG occupation since late 2017, with the support of the U.S.

It has forcibly recruited civilians into its ranks and has prevented many local residents from rebuilding their homes, many of which were destroyed last year by intense coalition airstrikes.

The YPG/PKK, however, does not provide any public services, while residents accused of having links with the opposition frequently face arbitrary detention.

With the ouster of Syria's Assad regime, the terrorist PKK/YPG has been seeking to exploit the country's instability and power vacuum.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly.

Syria is an area where for years the group has tried to establish a terrorist corridor along the Turkish border.

In recent years Türkiye has deployed troops and worked with local allies such as the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) to prevent this and keep locals and the border safe from terrorist oppression.

But Ankara is at odds with Washington over its support of the terrorist group.

Dodging questions

The U.S. on Monday reaffirmed its recognition of Türkiye's "legitimate right" to go after the PKK but avoided a question on the YPG, which the U.S. partners with in Syria to combat Daesh.

"We understand Türkiye's legitimate right to go after a designated terrorist organization," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Washington continues to designate the PKK as a terrorist organization.

When pressed by Anadolu Agency (AA) about the YPG, Miller avoided the question, saying: "I would speak with respect to the PKK."

"We have designated the PKK, and we respect their right to go after that organization," he added.

Noting that Syria is currently in a "fragile" state, Miller added: "We don't want to see any party take an action to pursue their own unilateral interests over the broader interests of the Syrian people."

Miller also defended the U.S.' partnership with the YPG, stating that the group plays an important role in countering Daesh.

"It is in the interest of Türkiye, in the interest of the Syrian people and all countries in the region that ISIS not rear its head again, that the ISIS fighters who are being held in SDF custody not be released," he said, using alternative acronyms for Daesh and the YPG.

Miller highlighted the ongoing engagement with Turkish officials, saying "It is an extremely difficult issue, but we continue to engage with our Turkish counterparts."

Asked why the U.S. does not consider cooperation with its NATO ally Türkiye instead of the YPG to combat Daesh, he said: "We have been discussing this with our NATO ally and trying to come to the best path forward."

"What we are trying to avoid is Syria devolving once again into sectarian fighting after it just came through the Assad regime that presided over a brutal, years-long civil war, and we don't want to see any actions that would further destabilize the situation," he added.

When asked by AA whether such actions include those by Israel, such as its expansion of settlement buildings in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and its bombing of various parts of Syria, he said it includes "every party in the region" but did not explicitly name Israel.

He later defended Israel's seizure of the demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Golan Heights, saying that it took the action because it saw the Syrian army withdraw from the buffer zone, and it created a vacuum that could be filled by groups that Israel and the U.S. consider terrorist groups.

"They have said it's temporary," he added.

Türkiye 'key to Syria'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that he thinks Türkiye "is going to hold the key to Syria" after over five decades of Assad family rule abruptly came to an end this month, hailing his relationship with the Turkish president.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen with Syria, but I think Türkiye is going to hold the key to Syria," the incoming president told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate. "I don't think you've heard that from anybody else, but I've been pretty good at predicting."

Trump said Türkiye is "very smart" as he hailed his personal relationship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"Türkiye is a major force, by the way, and Erdoğan is somebody I got along with, but he has a major military force. And his has not been worn out with war. He's built a very strong, powerful army."

Trump demurred when asked if he would withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria, but said Erdogan is "a very smart guy."

Numerous foreign policy analysts and commentators have said Türkiye emerged with a stronger hand from the recent events in Syria.