Turkey sees no clear US strategy for Raqqa operation as Tillerson visits
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlu00fct u00c7avuu015fou011flu (R) prepare to leave the stage after a group photo with leaders from the u201cGlobal Coalition Working to Defeat ISISu201d at State Department, March 22, in Washington.

As Rex Tillerson visits Ankara with the main agenda of a ground operation on Daesh-stronghold Raqqa, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu talked about different voices coming from the U.S. side and warned again for not using PKK-affiliated groups in the operation



Commenting on recent issues in a live broadcast of public broadcaster TRT on Wednesday before U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to Ankara, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, "There are different voices coming from the U.S about the Raqqa Operation." Çavuşoğlu stated that the extradition of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ)'s ringleader and Syria and Iraq issues would likely be discussed during the meeting today.Indicating that American officials do not display a steady stance on the Raqqa Operation, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said some officials from the administration of former U.S. President Obama are thinking differently from the new government formed by U.S. President Donald Trump. "Obviously, we see a different attitude from the Trump government, and this is what we expect [for the Raqqa Operation]," Çavuşoğlu added.Regarding the latest developments in the Raqqa Operation, Çavuşoğlu pointed out that views valid for the operation in the Obama-era from the military perspective still have an impact, whereas Turkey is opposed to using PKK-affiliated People's Protect Units (YPG) forces in Syria. "We say that the [Raqqa] operation should be conducted with the right groups as well as the people of that city. We expect a different attitude from the Trump administration than the Obama government. We also aim to maintain Syria's territorial integrity. However, it could not be done with the YPG," Çavuşoğlu added. The minister also noted that the aim of the YPG's participation in the Raqqa Operation is to obtain more land for itself instead of territorial integrity for Syria.The Raqqa Operation has been centered on the Syria-based YPG, a U.S. partner against Daesh since fall 2014. On the other hand, Turkey says the YPG functions as the PKK's Syrian wing, and therefore it is a terror group, a charge that the U.S. officially rejects. Turkey highlighted that the U.S. must force the YPG out of Manbij as it promised a long time ago. However, American officials indicated that the main focus is to enable locals to return to their homes and on renewed fighting in these areas, such as YPG-held Manbij, which the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition tried to seize earlier this month but was blocked by Russian and U.S. forces.American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to government protocols, have underlined that Washington will likely be careful of Turkey's concerns related to the YPG. U.S. officials said isolation efforts around Raqqa have recently accelerated and negotiations regarding the YPG's further inclusion in operations or Turkey's participation were ongoing. Officials claim the composition of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around Raqqa is at least 75 percent Arab, which is a suggestion that has hardly convinced anyone in Ankara.