US should see PYD, YPG as part of PKK terrorists, former US ambassador says
The U.S. should acknowledge Syria's Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia as part of the PKK, Washington's former envoy to Ankara, Francis Ricciardone, said on Friday.
"The PYD has at least expressed its difference with the PKK – we cannot be deluded by that," Ricciardone said in remarks at the Association of Turkish American Associations' annual Washington gathering.
"Americans have to understand the PYD is part of the PKK. There's no sense in pretending otherwise," he added.
The PYD has claimed it is "not the enemy of Turkey," Ricciardone said, urging the group "to act that way."
"And it seems to me, the United States, if we're going to work with the PYD or any group that's associated with an enemy of Turkey, it has to prove its bonafides," he said.
"We cannot just pretend otherwise."
Ties between Washington and Ankara have been strained over the PYD and YPG, with the U.S. insisting that it is an effective partner in the fight against DAESH. Ankara continues to reiterate that there cannot be any distinction between good or bad terrorist organizations and asserts that the PYD is affiliated with the PKK, a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., EU and NATO.
Despite making remarks about how it understands Ankara's concerns, Washington's actions in the field and several other statements show the two countries are still on different pages.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said last Thursday in a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting that the U.S. is "very sensitive" to Ankara's concerns: "We need to respect Turkey's concerns, and we will, we have, we believe."
On Wednesday of last week, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner refused Ankara's claims that U.S. weapons were given to the PKK and added: "Equipment and various weaponry, while given to the quote-unquote ‘good guys,' somehow sometime ends up in the hands of the quote-unquote ‘bad guys.' "
The U.S. provided arms to the PYD in October, which drew heavy criticism from Ankara. The U.S. air force dropped 50 tons of arms and ammunition to the PYD in the northern Syrian province of Hasakah. The 112 pallets reportedly contained ammunition for M-16s and AK-47s.
Elsewhere, the profile page for the PYD on the United States National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) website describing the group as the Syrian affiliate of Kongra-Gel (KGK) has recently been removed.
The PKK renewed its armed campaign against Turkey in late July 2015. Since then, more than 280 members of Turkey's security forces have been killed as well as thousands of PKK terrorists in operations in Turkey and Northern Iraq.
"The PYD has at least expressed its difference with the PKK – we cannot be deluded by that," Ricciardone said in remarks at the Association of Turkish American Associations' annual Washington gathering.
"Americans have to understand the PYD is part of the PKK. There's no sense in pretending otherwise," he added.
The PYD has claimed it is "not the enemy of Turkey," Ricciardone said, urging the group "to act that way."
"And it seems to me, the United States, if we're going to work with the PYD or any group that's associated with an enemy of Turkey, it has to prove its bonafides," he said.
"We cannot just pretend otherwise."
Ties between Washington and Ankara have been strained over the PYD and YPG, with the U.S. insisting that it is an effective partner in the fight against DAESH. Ankara continues to reiterate that there cannot be any distinction between good or bad terrorist organizations and asserts that the PYD is affiliated with the PKK, a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., EU and NATO.
Despite making remarks about how it understands Ankara's concerns, Washington's actions in the field and several other statements show the two countries are still on different pages.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said last Thursday in a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting that the U.S. is "very sensitive" to Ankara's concerns: "We need to respect Turkey's concerns, and we will, we have, we believe."
On Wednesday of last week, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner refused Ankara's claims that U.S. weapons were given to the PKK and added: "Equipment and various weaponry, while given to the quote-unquote ‘good guys,' somehow sometime ends up in the hands of the quote-unquote ‘bad guys.' "
The U.S. provided arms to the PYD in October, which drew heavy criticism from Ankara. The U.S. air force dropped 50 tons of arms and ammunition to the PYD in the northern Syrian province of Hasakah. The 112 pallets reportedly contained ammunition for M-16s and AK-47s.
Elsewhere, the profile page for the PYD on the United States National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) website describing the group as the Syrian affiliate of Kongra-Gel (KGK) has recently been removed.
The PKK renewed its armed campaign against Turkey in late July 2015. Since then, more than 280 members of Turkey's security forces have been killed as well as thousands of PKK terrorists in operations in Turkey and Northern Iraq.
Last Update: February 28, 2016 21:32