US columnist claims SDF leaders met Turkish coup plotters

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

The U.S. gathered leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at the Incirlik Airbase to meet Turkish generals, a Washington Post columnist claimed Wednesday.

In a column in which he discussed why the U.S. is not a trusted ally in the Middle East, David Ignatius wrote that Washington tried but failed earlier this year to fix Turkey’s enmity for the SDF.

“Before the Manbij offensive began in May, the United States brought to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition that nominally oversees the YPG,” he claimed.

The effort failed, according to the Ignatius, because of the July 15 coup attempt as some of the generals meeting the SDF leaders are now under arrest as suspected coup plotters.

Neither Turkish authorities nor U.S. military personnel have yet to confirm the claims but Pentagon officials told Anadolu Agency that they are now hearing about for first time.

One official said the U.S. is communicating with both parties as part of its counter-Daesh effort but does not recall a meeting between Turkish generals and the SDF members.

Ankara has repeatedly asked Washington not to support nor work with the SDF because the group consists of terrorist PKK/PYD elements.

According to Turkey, the PKK, a designated terrorist group, has rebranded itself as PYD, or its military wing, the YPG in Syria, and is acting out of more of separatist motivations by creating cantons in the north of the war-torn country.

The Turkish military has shelled YPG positions in northwest Syria as the group has attacked the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army, a moderate opposition group.

Turkish leaders have said Ankara is going to drive PKK/PYD elements from the northern city of Manbij, a predominantly Arab city that was liberated from Daesh earlier this summer.