In a US Department of State briefing on Wednesday, Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel addressed questions about a statement made earlier the same day by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan stated, ‘All infrastructure, superstructure, and energy facilities belonging to the PKK/YPG in Iraq and Syria are henceforth legitimate targets for our security forces and intelligence agencies’ and advised third parties to steer clear of facilities and individuals associated with the PKK and the YPG which the Turkish government considers to be an extension of the PKK, a perspective that is not universally shared by the international community.
Responding to queries about the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) denial of involvement in a recent PKK-claimed bombing in Turkey, Patel acknowledged the “legitimate security threat that the PKK poses to Turkey”. However, he also expressed concern over military escalation in northern Syria and stopped short of endorsing potential Turkish actions against the People’s Protection Units (YPG), despite persistent questioning from AP journalist Matt Lee.
Patel emphasised the US’s concern for civilian populations and the potential impact on ongoing efforts to defeat ISIS. “We continue to advocate for de-escalation and the maintenance of ceasefires as a key pillar of our policy in the region,” he said.
In a nuanced stance, Patel confirmed that the US stands firmly with Turkey in their fight against the PKK, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States. However, he made it clear that the US does not conflate the PKK with the YPG, a point of contention between the US and Turkey. “That is the case. I am not here to change long-standing US policy,” Mr. Patel stated.
On Wednesday Fidan stated, “Our forces discovered that two terrorists arrived in Turkey from Syria. We warn third parties to avoid PKK/YPG facilities.” The Foreign Minister’s comments are seen as a veiled warning to the US-led coalition forces in northeast Syria, who are collaborating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS.
Jonathan Lord, Director of the Middle East Security Program, was among the first to respond. Lord took to Twitter to express his concerns, stating, “It’s not YPG infrastructure. It’s civilian infrastructure. And targeting it constitutes a law of war violation.”
Wim Zwijnenburg, a contributor to Bellingcat, also weighed in on the issue. “Nothing under international law would make energy infrastructure in this case a legitimate target. Consequences for Syrian civilians would be widespread, not proportional, and long-lasting,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adam Gnych, a multimedia journalist whose work has appeared in The Guardian and VICE News, reported a new development. “Reports emerging of a Turkish drone shot down in NE Syria. Some sources alleging it was shot down by the coalition. This comes one day after Turkey announced it would begin targeting PKK infrastructure and energy facilities across Syria and Iraq,” Gnych tweeted.
Lord also warned of the potential fallout should American troops be harmed. “The day that Türkiye wounds or kills American troops deployed to Iraq or Syria in the fight against ISIS, is the day that Ankara will first begin to understand the blazing wrath of which the US Congress is capable,” he cautioned.
