US condemns Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish forces

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – The US on Tuesday was quick to condemn two Turkish air strikes that took place earlier that morning in the Kurdistan Region and northeastern Syria.

In the Kurdistan Region, Turkish warplanes struck a Peshmerga position in Shingal, killing five fighters.

Ankara had aimed to hit the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but as the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) affirmed in a statement denouncing the assault, “Even if the attack was a mistake, it is unacceptable.”

Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish parliamentarian, now in Washington, suggests the lethal error reflected “shortcomings in Turkey’s military and intelligence capacity” after the mass purges following July’s abortive coup.

The KDP held the PKK largely responsible for the strike, however.

“This painful and unacceptable attack,” the KDP statement said, is “a result of the PKK’s presence” in and around Shingal.

Similarly, the mayor of Shingal and the head of Nineveh’s Provincial Council also suggested the PKK’s continued presence in the area had prompted the Turkish bombing.

Turkish warplanes also hit the headquarters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist organization, because of its close ties to the PKK.

However, the US views the Kurdish-dominated force as its most effective Syrian partner in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). In effect, Ankara deliberately struck a US ally.

Following the Turkish attack, the YPG issued a statement explaining the assault hit the headquarters of the YPG’s “General Command,” as well as communication and media facilities.

Twenty fighters were killed, YPG spokesman Redur Xelil said.

A Pentagon official, Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, told Kurdistan 24 the US was “deeply concerned” about the Turkish airstrikes, which were conducted “without proper coordination with the Unites States and the broader Global Coalition to defeat [IS].”

“We recognize the threat the PKK poses to Turkey, but Turkey cannot pursue that fight at the expense of our common fight against terrorists that threaten us all,” Rankine-Galloway added.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner criticized Ankara in similar terms, expressing America’s “deep concern” about the airstrikes, which “were not approved by the coalition and led to the unfortunate loss of life of our partner forces in the fight against [IS] that includes members of the Kurdish Peshmerga.”

“We’ve expressed those concerns to the Government of Turkey directly,” Toner said, although he declined to provide any details about the exchange.

Toner described Turkey as a “vital partner” in the effort to defeat IS, as well as “a vital NATO ally.”

But, he added, “We’re going to continue to have frank discussions about the quality of Turkey’s democracy,” and “we’ve been doing that” since July’s failed coup.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany