ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Having non-Arab forces capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIS would have negative consequences, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday, a day after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced their offensive on that city. “Seizing and governing of Syria’s Daesh held Raqqa by non-Arab elements would not contribute to peace in the region,” Kurtulmus said, according to Turkey’s Daily Sabah. The SDF announced the beginning of their offensive against ISIS in Raqqa on Sunday. Turkey has long opposed the group capturing Raqqa since the SDF Arab-Kurdish coalition is primarily led by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey vehemently opposes. The US is also hesitant about using a Kurdish-majority force to assault ISIS in Raqqa. On Friday, the spokesman for the US Inherent Resolve operation against ISIS, Col. John Dorrian, said the SDF was prepared to take Raqqa but emphasized the need to train more Arab fighters. “There is an intent to enlarge the force, and in particular, the Arab contingent of the force because we do understand that Raqqa is primarily an Arab city,” Dorrian explained. “We intend to train as many of them as we possibly can,” he added.
