Turkey dissatisfied with visit of American general to Syria
2023.03.06 11:18
Turkey dissatisfied with visit of American general to Syria
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – According to a source in the foreign ministry, Turkey called the U.S. ambassador Jeff Flake on Monday to express its displeasure with the top American general’s weekend trip to northeast Syria.
On March 4, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark Milley paid the unannounced visit to evaluate a nearly eight-year-old U.S. mission to an area controlled by the SDF, which is allied with the United States.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the primary ally of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State, was instrumental in defeating the group’s jihadists throughout Syria. However, U.S. support for the group has strained relations with Turkey for years.
Turkey sees Individuals’ Insurance Units (YPG), the lead of the SDF, as the Syrian wing of the banned rebel Kurdistan Laborers’ Party (PKK) and considers both as psychological oppressor associations.
The PKK has also been declared a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, but not the YPG.
