"There's no doubt the Kurds are great fighters. I'm a great admirer of the Kurds," McCain said on Wednesday as quoted by Military.com. "But we also understand that without the Turks, we will take Raqqa, but it will take a lot longer time… it's an enormous challenge, and that's got to be addressed."
McCain noted that the US military could lose access to the Incirlik air base in Turkey, if the US cooperation with the Kurds moves further.
McCain suggested US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster should have a personal conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on future steps.
During Syria’s conflict, the Kurdish forces have emerged as perhaps the most effective elements fighting Daesh terror group.
However, Turkey claims that the some of the Kurdish groups, including the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), are closely aligned with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by Ankara.
