U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Washington has no obligation to support the formation of an independent state by the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), acknowledging the group’s links to the YPG — the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization.
Speaking to CNN Türk, Barrack dismissed claims that the U.S. owes the SDF, which is dominated by the PKK's Syrian offshoot YPG, any commitment to statehood.
“The SDF is YPG. And YPG is a derivative of the PKK,” he said.
“Some Americans believe, ‘We were partners with the SDF, so we owe them.’ But the real question is, what exactly do we owe them?” he asked. “We do not owe them an independent government within a state. What we owe them is a reasonable path forward in the transition to a new administration.”
Barrack also emphasized that the U.S. does not support a fragmented political structure in Syria based on ethnicity or sectarian identity.
“There cannot be a system where Druze forces dress like Druze, Alawite forces like Alawites, Kurdish forces like Kurds — this cannot continue,” he said. “There will be one unified structure.”
Ankara has long criticized Washington for supporting the YPG under the guise of the SDF, warning that such actions undermine regional stability and Türkiye’s national security. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the U.S., and the European Union.
Washington’s support for the YPG has strained Turkish-U.S. ties as Ankara warns its NATO ally against aiding terror elements that threaten its national security, something Washington continues to do despite promising to remove the group from the Turkish border area. The YPG has not openly supported the terror-free Türkiye initiative and appears reluctant to join the PKK, which announced last May it would dissolve itself.
