US Spokesperson: Turkey, Kurdish forces must ‘coordinate’ in Raqqa

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – A United States Spokesperson on Monday said Turkey and other forces must work in “coordinated fashion” to defeat the Islamic State (IS) in Raqqa, Syria.

Spokesperson Mark Toner responded to a question from a Kurdistan24 correspondent in Washington, DC regarding the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) fears Turkey would attack them during the Raqqa operation.

“What we have worked with and continue to coordinate with Turkey on is how we continue to keep pressure on what is the common enemy here, which is [IS],” Toner stated.

“We’ve called on all sides in this conflict to focus on that,” he continued. “Whether it’s the YPG, whether it’s other Syrian, Arab, or Kurdish forces, and whether it’s Turkey.”

The US-backed Kurdish-led SDF on Sunday announced the launch of the military operation to liberate Raqqa from IS.

SDF is a mixed force that consists of Kurdish fighters known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) with some Arab and Turkmen groups.

Turkey began an intensive air campaign last month against YPG forces, linking it to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who were pushing eastward from Afrin to the IS-held city of al-Bab.

“We’re aware of Turkey’s concerns regarding the YPG [but] we don’t necessarily draw that same conclusion about the YPG,” Toner said. “They’re a very effective local fighting force in northern Syria.”

The US Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby addressed the violence at the time and said it only gave “oxygen” to IS.

Referring to Turkey’s previous attacks on Kurdish forces in Syria, an SDF representative said, “We cannot extinguish the fire in our neighbor’s house if our home is burning.”

Toner explained the US was “working closely” with Turkey and other forces on the ground “to remain coordinated and to try to remain focused.”

(Laurie Mylroie in Washington, DC contributed to this report)