WATCH: 'US-Kurdish ties will remain strong'

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – Mark Toner, the Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department told Kurdistan24 the US-Kurdish relationship would remain strong.

“Kurds have proven to be a consistent, strong force trying to liberate many of the territories that Da’esh is holding both in Iraq and Syria,” Toner said, using the Arabic pejorative for the Islamic State (IS).

Moreover, he emphasized the US had drawn a clear distinction between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syrian Kurdistan.

Toner added that Washington, while mindful of Turkey’s concerns, was focused on one common enemy: IS.

While admiring what Kurds in the Kurdistan Region had achieved and pointing out the sacrifices the Peshmerga had made, Toner reiterated the US administration’s position to keep Iraq a unified country.

“Kurds have played an incredibly important role in all the efforts to rid Iraq of Da’esh,” he told Kurdistan24.

“What we have talked about all along is that all these forces need to be operating under the control of the Iraqi government,” the Deputy Spokesman continued.

“With respect to US relations with the Kurdish region of Iraq, those remain strong. We continue to work with them, discuss with them, ways we can cooperate more closely, especially in carrying out the fight against Da’esh,” Toner concluded.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Laurie Mylroie conducted the interview in Washington, DC)