“What we have discussed today are options that are available to us. They are difficult options,” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said of preparations for a military offensive to oust ISIS from its de facto capital Raqqa, Syria. “Let me be very frank, it’s not easy, they are difficult choices that have to be made.”
He made his comments during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu after meetings with Turkish leaders in Ankara.
The US-led coalition is relying on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as their key ally to defeat ISIS in northern Syria, providing advice, training, equipment, air power, and practical support to the coalition of forces that includes local Arabs and Kurdish YPG.
Cavusoglu said this support of the YPG, a group Ankara claims has ties with the named terrorist group PKK, “has negatively affected the Turkish people’s sentiments toward the United States.”
Ankara would like to see the US partner with the Free Syrian Army who have coordinated with the Turkish army in its Euphrates Shield operation in northern Syria that was declared completed on Wednesday.
The Americans’ alliance with the Kurdish forces was a main issue Ankara had with the administration of former US President Barak Obama, Cavusoglu said, adding that they “expect better cooperation” with current President Donald Trump.
“We have once again shared our view with our friend that cooperating with one terror organization in fighting another terror group is wrong and unrealistic, and will impose more risks for the future of Syria,” he said.
Cavusoglu also claimed that the Trump administration has accepted that the YPG has ties with the PKK, a comment that went unacknowledged by Tillerson.
Since Trump took office, the US and the global coalition appear to have increased their support for the SDF in northern Syria, including providing armoured vehicles to the forces fighting around Raqqa, deploying a Marine force to provide artillery support for the Raqqa fight, establishing a visible military presence around Manbij, and carrying out a joint airdrop operation to cross the Euphrates River and advance the fight against ISIS at the strategic Tabqa Dam.
While some of these decisions first came to life under Obama’s administration, current US officials appear to support continued and increased support for the SDF. The plan for an assault on the city of Raqqa is in development, but initial reports indicate that additional arming of the Kurdish forces will be a key aspect.
Tillerson, however, stressed the importance of Turkey as a key partner. “Just so we can be clear, there is no space between Turkey and the United States in our commitment to defeat Daesh,” he said.
In a meeting between Tillerson and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, the Turkish leader urged the US to work with “legitimate actors” to fight ISIS in Syria, Hurriyet Daily News reported, citing presidential sources.
