SDF: Final push on ISIL’s Raqqa ‘likely next month’

It was the highest level talks between the two nations since Washington on Tuesday announced plans to back the YPG militia in an assault to retake the city of Raqqa from Islamic State, Reuters indicated.

The SDF is dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), seen by the U.S. as an indispensable ally in the fight against IS but considered a “terrorist group” by Turkey.

Aside from the forces marshalled by Turkey, they have been seen as the only reliable forces in the fight against the so-called Islamic State.

According to PYD official Dibo, this is a “mistake that would eventually affect Turkey more than any other country”, and cause Turkey to face more instability in the future. “We have told our concern about this to America for a long time”.

Those include extraditing the Pennsylvania-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan blames for fomenting a failed coup last summer, and dropping US charges against Reza Zarrab, a Turkish businessman accused of money-laundering and violating USA sanctions in Iran.

Erdogan blames Gulen supporters for a failed coup attempt last July and has conducted a large-scale crackdown on them, drawing criticism from Washington.

“Turkey may prefer to wait and see, knowing that even the capture of Raqqa won’t eradicate Islamic State, and the war will linger for years and years”.

“The fight against terrorism should not be lead with another terror organisation”, Erdogan said Wednesday.

A recent referendum gave Erdoğan a “de facto dictatorship”, and Trump was criticized for congratulating him on that victory.

But hopes for rapprochement took a hit last week. Too exuberant in its support for the Kurds, and the USA risks pushing ally Turkey toward US geopolitical rivals like Russian Federation or emboldening the Kurds to try to create an independent state — a scenario that would destabilize multiple countries in the region.

Using one terrorist group to destroy another is unworthy of serious states, Turkey’s prime minister said Friday, criticizing a USA decision to arm the PKK/PYD to defeat Daesh in Syria.

However, Syrian Kurdish politician Ilham Ahmed said they have never threatened Turkey.

The gamble Mr. Trump is taking is that he may be endangering Turkish support in the battle against Islamic State and the effort to broker a settlement of the Syrian civil war. Fed up with what he saw as the Obama administration’s wishy-washy Syria policy, its unwise alliance with Kurdish “terrorists” and its failure to understand the need for some of his authoritarian policies, Erdogan envisioned a new dawn in U.S. On the other hand, it depends on what he wants from Trump and Washington. “After that we will make our final decision”.

This week combined Arab and Kurd forces, backed by the United States and UK, captured the Tabla dam and nearby town in a move that means they are now within striking distance of Raqqa. Syrian Free army and Kurdish forces will spearhead the assault on the city, but they are awaiting the supply of USA weapons, which the United States only authorised for the Kurds on Thursday, in a major policy change that infuriated the Turks. Turkish air strikes carried out against Kurds in Syria and Iraq last week displayed Erdogan’s seriousness of goal and resolve.

The battle for Tabqa was marked by fears that fighting could damage the nearby dam – Syria’s largest – with the potential for catastrophic flooding.

But that would hamper operations against jihadis who also menace Turkey and have claimed responsibility for attacks including the bombing of Istanbul airport in June 2016.

The Turkish deputy prime minister, Nurettin Canikli, insisted the United States decision should not reflect poorly on Turkish military prowess. “I think ultimately a formula will be found”.