US envoy in Ankara amid Turkish preparations to invade Afrin
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - Top US diplomat tasked with destroying the Islamic State visited Turkey on Friday as Ankara stepped up its military activity on the border with northwestern Syria in a bid to invade the Kurdish region of Afrin.
The US Presidential Envoy to the International Coalition against the Islamic State (IS) Brett McGurk's Turkey trip follows his Wednesday visit to northern Syria where he met with Kurdish and local Arab officials near IS embattled de facto capital of Raqqa.
In Ankara, McGurk visited the two ministries of defense and foreign affairs where he sat down with undersecretaries.
There was no comment from either side regarding the content of the meetings, reported Kurdistan24's Turkish language service.
McGurk has previously attracted fierce criticism from the Turkish government for his perceived sympathies with the Kurds.
"McGurk is clearly giving support to the PKK and YPG. It would be beneficial if this person were to be replaced," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the diplomat.
McGurk denied the allegations; Washington strongly defended McGurk's expertise and rejected Turkey's suggestion.
Meanwhile, the Turkish army continued what it called retaliatory action against the primary US ally in Syria, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) positions in Afrin.
Earlier this week, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said, "Afrin should be cleansed from terrorists and terrorist elements.”
Turkish military sent more troops and artillery including Howitzers to the towns of Hassa and Kirikhan in the Mediterranean Hatay province that neighbors Afrin, reported the state-funded Anadolu Agency.
Kurdish forces have declared a large-scale Turkish assault would disrupt an ongoing US-backed operation to capture Raqqa where they have already made advances toward its center.
A US military, Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led coalition against the IS told Kurdistan24 in a Thursday press briefing at Pentagon that they are “concerned” about Turkey’s shelling of areas in Afrin.
Editing by Ava Homa