The comments from James Jeffrey, the State Department’s special representative for Syria engagement, came after a spokesperson for the U.S.-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria reportedly said last week that the group is ready for dialogue with Turkey, which has demanded their removal despite their key role in fighting the Islamic State (IS).
YPG fighters, who lead the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have maintained control over large swathes of northern Syria near the Turkish border with the help of the American military.
Arguing that the YPG is part of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) terrorist group, America’s NATO ally Turkey has repeatedly attacked the U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters in Syria.
On Thursday, Jeffrey told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East via written testimony:
Turkey points to links between the SDF and PKK, and these unfortunate incidents detract from our efforts to defeat ISIS and coordinate other elements of our overall Syria policy. The United States remains committed to working with Turkey to address Turkish security concerns, including along its borders, and we support Turkey in its fight against the PKK, while attempting to reduce tensions. And as we have said before, uncoordinated, unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly where U.S. personnel are present, is of great concern, and any action that endangers U.S. personnel is unacceptable.
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