The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) shared an announcement on their official Twitter account about the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), claiming that they had no affiliation or ties to the PKK terrorist organization causing outrage on Wednesday.
CENTCOM used a screenshot of the SDF announcement before sharing the post with a SDF signature.
"Our force is not part of the PKK, we consider ourselves as part of Syria nation and Syrian land", the SDF's general command said in the statement.
The post also stated that the SDF was seeking improved relations with neighboring states, including Turkey.
The United States considered the SDF as its principal partner on the theater ground in Syria in the fight against Daesh, however Turkey sees the groups as PKK's Syrian offshoot.
The SDF is known to consist of Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen fighters, which are mostly PYD/YPG members.
The CENTCOM support of the SDF drew a reaction from Turkey, with Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın taking to Twitter to respond. Kalın asked if CENTCOM was joking and added that the U.S. should stop trying to legitimize terrorist organizations.
Is this a joke or @CENTCOM has lost its senses? Do you believe anyone will buy this? The US must stop trying to legitimize a terrorist group
— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) January 12, 2017
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a press conference on Wednesday that the PYD's inclusion in the Syrian peace talks was vital to the long-sought political resolution to the conflict.
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