Syrian Kurds appeal to UN as Turkey attack imminent

Syria's main Kurdish political party on Wednesday called on the UN Security Council to act quickly to ensure the safety of Kurdish-controlled territories, including an enclave that Turkey has threatened to attack.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday threatened to attack the Kurdish-held town of Afrin in northern Syria "in the days ahead" saying Ankara troops will clear it of "terrorists".

Tanks have amassed near the border with Syria, while Turkish media reported that medical personnel in Kilis, a Turkish town across the border from Afrin, were asked not to take leave, apparently in anticipation of military operations.

On Tuesday, Turkish forces targeted positions in the Afrin region, north of Aleppo, with artillery shells.

Afrin is controlled by YPG militia considered by Ankara to be a terror group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) waging an insurgency inside Turkey.

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD, the political arm of the main Kurdish militia, said that if Turkey launches an operation against Afrin, the world will bear responsibility for the lives of people residing there.

The PYD called on the Security Council to "move immediately" to ensure the security of Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria.

"Such a responsible behavior will lead to the desired result in finding a resolution for the Syrian crisis," the PYD said in a statement.

The Kurdish militia, which forms the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now controls nearly 25 percent of Syrian territory. It is the US-led coalition's chief ally in the campaign against IS in Syria.

The US-led coalition recently said it is planning a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led border force, further angering Turkey.

Erdogan has threatened to derail the creation of the new border security force in northern Syria, labelling it a "terror army".

US officials said at the weekend that the new force was needed as the focus shifted from fighting IS extremists to border security in northern Syria.