Kobani told The Times that the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie was sent by the White House to personally reassure him.
Kobani noted that the U.S. officials highlighted that their Syria policy was completely different from their policies in Afghanistan and that they would never abandon them.
The commander noted that they were scared after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and that he held a meeting with the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood. He said the U.S. immediately sent representatives to reassure them that they would not face a similar situation like Afghanistan.
It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as government forces, trained for two decades and equipped by the U.S. and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away.
The U.S. primarily partnered with the SDF in northeastern Syria to fight the ISIS. Ankara has long objected to the U.S.' support of the forces which are in control of a large part of northern Syria.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched three operations across its border in northern Syria: Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018 and Peace Spring in 2019. Through these operations, Turkey has occupied a number of the areas in the region.
The U.S. has stated the training, weapons and ammunition support it provides to the SDF was to support the fight against the the ISIS terrorist organization.
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