Turkey, Russia pressure SDF to restore electricity to northeast Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces continue to cut power in the areas under the control of the Turkish-backed opposition in northeast Syria, under the pretext that Turkey is responsible for the drop in water levels in the Euphrates River.
Since April 17, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been cutting off electricity to the areas under the control of the Turkish-backed opposition in northeast Syria, mainly in Ras al-Ain in the northern countryside of Hasakah and Tell Abyad in the northern countryside of Raqqa, under the pretext of the drop in water levels in the Euphrates River caused by Turkey.
The power cuts continue although the damage to the high-tension 230-kilovolt line supplying the area with electricity from the Tishrin Dam was repaired May 4, after it was struck by SDF shelling.
After the repair works were completed, the SDF agreed to feed the Peace Spring areas with 30 megawatts of electricity from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. But the SDF failed to go through with the agreement. Instead it cut off power from the Alouk station near Ras al-Ain for two whole days, which cut off water to Hasakah.
Mohammed Ali al-Hosho, head of the Ras al-Ain local council affiliated with the opposition, told Al-Monitor, “The local council does not know the reason for the ongoing power outages in the cities of Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ain. Direct negotiations are taking place between the Turkish and Russian sides. The recent repair of the electricity tower feeding the area after it was shelled by the SDF was delayed by about 10 days because the SDF had initially blocked the repairs."
