The White House on Tuesday assured Türkiye regarding its concerns over the PKK terrorist group's Syrian wing YPG as a U.S. commander visited American troops and the PKK/YPG in Syria on the same day.
The U.S. acknowledged Ankara’s “legitimate counterterrorism threat” in northern Syria but said it would maintain support for its PKK/YPG-led Syrian partner.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Türkiye has "a right to defend their citizens and their territory against terrorist attacks," noting Türkiye has "come under those kinds of terrorist attacks in the not so distant past."
"We recognize they have that right, and they're an important NATO ally," Kirby told reporters.
"We have interests, as I said, in going after ISIS (Daesh), and that means partnering with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and that will continue; where those two goals overlap or potentially conflict, we will have, as we have, the appropriate conversations with the Turks about how both those outcomes can be achieved," he added.
He was using an alternative name for the YPG, the U.S.' primary anti-Daesh partner in Syria. The PKK is a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Türkiye.
Washington's support for the PKK/YPG has greatly exacerbated tensions in bilateral relations between the NATO allies.
Amid ongoing clashes between the PKK/YPG and the Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army, Kirby said the U.S. is "not in a position to verify the exact operational status of" the key city of Manbij but said the administration has "been in close contact with the Turks about this, and certainly remain in close contact with the Syrian Democratic Forces."
Kirby said the U.S. is "absolutely concerned" about the security of detention facilities used to hold Daesh detainees in Syria. Most of the facilities, particularly those in eastern Syria, are run by the YPG.
"Some of these detention facilities do house ISIS fighters, largely of a lower level, but nevertheless, ISIS fighters. And so we are talking to all of our counterparts, including the Turks, about the status of those detention facilities and about our collective concern of the potential for them to be opened up, or for people to be able to get out," he said.
"Most of them in the east are run by the SDF, who are our partners, and so we know we can rely on their ability to continue to properly safeguard those facilities, the ones that are in the in the east, but it is a concern, no question about it," he added.
Also on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Gen. Michael Eric Kurilla visited American commanders and service members, as well as PKK/YPG terrorists at several bases in Syria.
"He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation. USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS," CENTCOM said.
The visit came two days after Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after a shock anti-regime offensive lasting less than two weeks took control of Damascus early Sunday, ending the Baath Party rule, which had been in power since 1963.
The YPG/PKK has sought to exploit the security vacuum created by the regime’s collapse, but its efforts were largely thwarted by the SNA.
Following his visit to Syria, Kurilla visited Baghdad, where he met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah and Iraqi Joint Operations Deputy Commander Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawai.
"The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria and the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq. The leaders also discussed the continued partnership between Coalition and Iraqi forces," said CENTCOM.
