The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, announced the capture of Syria’s largest dam from the Islamic State, a major objective in a broad operation aimed at eradicating the extreme Muslim group’s presence in the war-torn-country. The successful operation by the SDF came after the United States approved supplying heavy weaponry to the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, a key component of the SDF and their campaign, which Washington declared as a valuable partner for the US-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.
Washington’s decision came despite fierce objections from its NATO ally Turkey, which views the YPG militia as an extension of the internationally recognized terror group ‘the Kurdistan Workers Party, known by its abbreviation – PKK. In a news conference in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his dissatisfaction by the American move, which Turkey perceives as cooperating with terrorist organizations – which is contrary to Turkey’s strategic relations with the United States – a move Erdogan noted also Moscow disapproved of. That said, President Erdogan said believes that the United States was still going through a “transition period”, and that decisions to arm the Kurdish militias, including the YPG, dated back to policies from the Obama Administration.
“We don’t find it suitable at all for the United States to stand side by side with a terrorist organization and a terrorist organization to stand by the U.S. We don’t find it right. I can say this as I have already told it to Mr. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, we don’t find this suitable for Russia either. We don’t believe that they would act together with the terrorists. As a matter of fact, they have also concurred this to us occasionally. ” / “The arms provided to YPG are heavy weaponry. They are not ordinary weapons. We have documents and they admit that. Of course, this decision is contrary to our strategic relations with the United States,” said Erdogan.
President Erdogan, nevertheless, emphasized that his upcoming visit to Washington was seen by Ankara as a “new beginning” in the US-Turkish relations that will bring about significant cooperation between the two countries.