US says Kurds to join Raqqa operation despite Turkish objections

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and its multi-ethnic surrogate alliance of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will participate in the operation to isolate the Islamic State (IS)-held city of Raqqa, a United States General revealed on Wednesday.

Gen. Stephen Townsend, who oversees anti-IS operations in Iraq, was talking to a Pentagon online press briefing where he made remarks that were likely to further anger Turkish officials, according to Reuters.

“Turkey doesn’t want to see us operating with the SDF anywhere, particularly in Raqqa,” Townsend said.

“We’re having talks with Turkey and we’re going to take this in steps,” he added.

Turkish officials including the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had repeatedly ruled out any operation to liberate Raqqa with the participation of the Kurdish-led forces.

Cavusoglu had earlier claimed Kurdish YPG were not “local” in Syrian terms a day after questioning whether the US was a “state sponsor of terrorism” for its support to Syrian Kurds.

“The only force that is capable on any near-term timeline are the [SDF], of which the YPG are a significant portion,” Townsend explained.

The General’s comments aimed to justify American insistence on Kurdish participation in the upcoming anti-IS operations in Syria despite strong Turkish discontent.

“We’re going to take the force that we have and we will go to Raqqa soon with that force,” Townsend continued.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his country’s opposition to the YPG control in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).

Additionally, Erdogan restated his army would push the Kurdish forces out of the town of Manbij in northern Aleppo, according to the Kurdistan24 bureau in Ankara.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter signaled this week the campaign in Raqqa was fast approaching.

He told reporters traveling with him in Brussels on Wednesday the start of the operation was weeks away, Reuters reported.

“I think it will be within weeks, that’s what I want to say, and not many weeks,” Carter said, adding the goal was to generate and position local forces to start isolating the city.

Meanwhile, Turkey continued to target Kurdish positions in Syria throughout the week as a Wednesday army statement said Turkish airstrikes hit 19 YPG targets in northwestern Syria.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany