US acknowledges Türkiye's 'legitimate counterterrorism threat' in Syria

WASHINGTON

The White House acknowledged on Dec. 10 Türkiye's "legitimate counterterrorism threat" in Syria, but said it would maintain support for the YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its primary anti-ISIL partner in Syria. 

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Ankara 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 ISIL, and that means partnering with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and that will continue, and 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.

The SDF group is led by the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Türkiye. Washington's support for the SDF has greatly exacerbated tensions in bilateral relations between the NATO allies.

Amid ongoing clashes between the SDF 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 ISIL detainees in Syria. 

"Some of these detention facilities do house ISIL fighters, largely of a lower level, but nevertheless, ISIL 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.