“We are concerned about the situation north of Aleppo and are working to deescalate tensions on all sides,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement Saturday.
“We have also seen reports of artillery fire from the Turkish side of the border and urged Turkey to cease such fire,” he added.
France also joined the US calls, with the country’s Foreign Ministry urging Turkey to halt the bombardment of Kurdish areas in Syria.
“The priority should be the fight against Islamic State [Daesh] and the implementation of agreements reached by the International Syria Support Group (Russia, US and UN) in Munich earlier this week,” it added.
The Kurdish militants are fighting terrorists in Syria, but they are themselves viewed as such by Ankara.
However, what Ankara is doing to the Kurds, who are fighting Daesh terrorists in Syria, means that its priorities definitely lie elsewhere.
The United States can distance itself from Turkey, which is bombing those Washington purports to support, but just how long it is going to call Turkey “a true ally” and ”a great partner” is a big question.
What we now see is a clear clash of priorities with Turkish President Erdogan asking America point blank whose side it is on – Turkey’s or the Kurds?
To this Washington says it supports both, but with the situation developing as it does, America will hardly be able to sit on the fence for too long.
