ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Pentagon acknowledged that Turkey has “legitimate security concerns” on its border with Afrin, but urged Ankara to “limit” its operation that is drawing focus away from the war with ISIS.
“We are continually talking to Turkey and we have stressed to the Turks to limit the operation,” Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White told reporters on Thursday. “It is a distraction. We have also asked them to restrain themselves and avoid civilian casualties at all cost.”
Director of the Joint Staff Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie highlighted that the focus should be on the Euphrates River Valley, where the majority of remaining ISIS fighters are concentrated and the US-backed SDF are combatting the extremist group.
He said that Turkey has “significant issues up in the area where they’re conducting those operations” in northern Syria that have to be “dealt with appropriately.”
While noting that the United States has designated the PKK a terror organization and is carrying out an “active insurgency,” White stressed that it is taking place “within their borders” and Turkey must limit their ongoing offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, which Ankara considers a branch of the PKK.
“Turkey is a NATO ally and we don’t always see everything the same, but we work together and we’ve worked with them with respect to the insurgency that’s happening within their border and we’ll continue to help them,” White explained.
Already tense relations between Ankara and Washington deteriorated further when the United States announced they were forming a 30,000-strong border force in northern Syria with the Kurdish-led SDF.
Though US officials walked back on the statement, it heightened Turkish concerns about American support for the Kurds. Turkey launched its operation on January 20, saying it could not allow the formation of a “terror corridor” on its borders.
After 13 days of clashes, 104 civilians have been killed, according to the director of Afrin Hospital, Dr. Jiwan Mohammed.
"Right now we are overwhelmed with injured and killed civilians," Dr. Mohammed told CNN. "Our hospital is unable to cope. Our surgery rooms are overwhelmed. We conduct 18 surgeries a day. We are using up all our medical supplies because of the overwhelming number of casualties as a result of indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery fire."
According to UN figures, 323,000 people are living in Afrin and nearby areas under Kurdish control. Of them, 192,000 are in need of humanitarian aid and 125,000 are IDPs.
Turkey claimed a major advance in northern Afrin on Thursday, saying it had taken control of the centre of Bulbul town. Conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said heavy clashes continued in the Bulbul region Thursday night.
The SDF also reported heavy clashes in the Shahba district.
Salih Muslim, former co-chair of the ruling PYD in the self-autonomous Rojava, told VOA that Kurdish forces had withdrawn from some areas as a military tactic.
Turkish media reported that five civilians in its Kilis province, north of Afrin, were injured by rocket fire from across the border. A day earlier, a 17-year-old girl was killed by rocket fire in Hatay, west of Afrin.
Muslim asserted that the Kurdish forces do not have the weaponry to target Turkish cities, VOA reported.
Turkish leaders have said they would continue their operation eastward, going to Manbij after Afrin and as far as the border with Iraq.
“There’s no sign they’re moving towards Manbij at this time,” McKenzie said. The United States has forces in the Manbij area.
Asked if the United States would fulfill a promise to Turkey to take back weaponry it had given to the SDF, McKenzie said that would only occur after the war with ISIS is finished.
“We are continually talking to Turkey and we have stressed to the Turks to limit the operation,” Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White told reporters on Thursday. “It is a distraction. We have also asked them to restrain themselves and avoid civilian casualties at all cost.”
Director of the Joint Staff Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie highlighted that the focus should be on the Euphrates River Valley, where the majority of remaining ISIS fighters are concentrated and the US-backed SDF are combatting the extremist group.
He said that Turkey has “significant issues up in the area where they’re conducting those operations” in northern Syria that have to be “dealt with appropriately.”
While noting that the United States has designated the PKK a terror organization and is carrying out an “active insurgency,” White stressed that it is taking place “within their borders” and Turkey must limit their ongoing offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, which Ankara considers a branch of the PKK.
“Turkey is a NATO ally and we don’t always see everything the same, but we work together and we’ve worked with them with respect to the insurgency that’s happening within their border and we’ll continue to help them,” White explained.
Already tense relations between Ankara and Washington deteriorated further when the United States announced they were forming a 30,000-strong border force in northern Syria with the Kurdish-led SDF.
Though US officials walked back on the statement, it heightened Turkish concerns about American support for the Kurds. Turkey launched its operation on January 20, saying it could not allow the formation of a “terror corridor” on its borders.
After 13 days of clashes, 104 civilians have been killed, according to the director of Afrin Hospital, Dr. Jiwan Mohammed.
"Right now we are overwhelmed with injured and killed civilians," Dr. Mohammed told CNN. "Our hospital is unable to cope. Our surgery rooms are overwhelmed. We conduct 18 surgeries a day. We are using up all our medical supplies because of the overwhelming number of casualties as a result of indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery fire."
According to UN figures, 323,000 people are living in Afrin and nearby areas under Kurdish control. Of them, 192,000 are in need of humanitarian aid and 125,000 are IDPs.
Turkey claimed a major advance in northern Afrin on Thursday, saying it had taken control of the centre of Bulbul town. Conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said heavy clashes continued in the Bulbul region Thursday night.
The SDF also reported heavy clashes in the Shahba district.
Salih Muslim, former co-chair of the ruling PYD in the self-autonomous Rojava, told VOA that Kurdish forces had withdrawn from some areas as a military tactic.
Turkish media reported that five civilians in its Kilis province, north of Afrin, were injured by rocket fire from across the border. A day earlier, a 17-year-old girl was killed by rocket fire in Hatay, west of Afrin.
Muslim asserted that the Kurdish forces do not have the weaponry to target Turkish cities, VOA reported.
Turkish leaders have said they would continue their operation eastward, going to Manbij after Afrin and as far as the border with Iraq.
“There’s no sign they’re moving towards Manbij at this time,” McKenzie said. The United States has forces in the Manbij area.
Asked if the United States would fulfill a promise to Turkey to take back weaponry it had given to the SDF, McKenzie said that would only occur after the war with ISIS is finished.
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