MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier this week, Turkish jets struck in northern Syria and Iraq the positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military branch of Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). Turkey's General Staff said about 70 Kurdish fighters were killed as a result of the airstrikes. US State Department expressed deep concern over Ankara having conducted a military action in Syria and Iraq without the anti-Daesh coalition’s approval.
"As a NATO member, the relations between US and Turkey surely has an effect on resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey. We believe that if Turkey hadn't been given the green light from NATO, it wouldn't have dared to brutally attack Kurds and Freedom Movements inside Turkey," Muhammad Hassan, speaking on behalf of the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), said.
State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters on Thursday that Turkish actions put US soldiers operating in the area at risk. He said Washington had made clear its concern about Ankara’s actions to the Turkish government at very high levels.
"The Kurdish issue is complicated as it involves four countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. So the Turkey-US relation is not enough to resolve this issue. However, Turkish role in resolving the Kurdish issue is vital because the biggest part of Kurdistan is in Turkey, and the resolution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey is the key to resolve it in the other countries," Hassan added.
However, the PYD and the YPG, as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been receiving support from the United States in fighting Daesh in northern Syria.
