Pentagon chief Jim Mattis on Thursday made clear that America is committed to protecting Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally upset the Trump administration has agreed to arm anti-Islamic State fighters in Syria that Turkey considers terrorists.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will arm the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces "as necessary" to recapture the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa.
They captured Tabqa "thanks to the sacrifices of the SDF's heroes and with the full, unlimited support of the USA -led worldwide coalition", said SDF spokesman Talal Silo.
Turkey yesterday slammed as unacceptable a United States plan to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Ankara considers terrorists, but the militia applauded a "historic" move that would hasten the extremists' defeat.
Turkey believes the US -backed Syrian Kurds, known as the YPG, are terrorists. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim publicly criticized the decision, saying Wednesday that the US can't use one terrorist group to fight another.
The Syrian Kurds have been encircling Raqqa, preparing for the launch of what the USA military predicts will be a long and hard battle to retake the city. United States officials are concerned that Turkey could send forces into northern Syria and draw the Kurdish fighters away from the Raqqa battle.
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The Syrian Democratic Forces scored one of their biggest victories against IS jihadists as controversy intensified over a USA decision to arm the alliance's Kurdish component.
Washington is trying to provide Turkey assurances.
The Kurdish commanders had long maintained that they could not be America's chief ally and boots on the ground while North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member Turkey carried out airstrikes and ground incursions against their forces.
According to the New York Times, the delegation was informed of the decision to arm the YPG by Trump's national security adviser H.R. McMaster. He has demanded Washington reverse the decision, and said he would take up the issue with Trump. Talal Sillo, a commander with SDF, said no weapons have yet been delivered to the group but that the US-led coalition had said that fast delivery was expected from weapons already in Syria with the global coalition.
A Turkish air raid in late April killed 20 Syrian Kurdish fighters and media officials, prompting the U.S.to deploy armored vehicles along the border in a show of support for the group.
The president said he would express his concerns in this regard at his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 16, adding the same issue would also be brought up at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit to be held in Brussels on May 25. A high-level Turkish delegation including Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and Turkey's spy chief Hakan Fidan has been in the USA laying the groundwork for the meeting. To this end, US officials have assured their Turkish counterparts that Arab SDF fighters will lead the battle into Raqqa, and upon victory the city will be returned to local Arab governance.
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