US senator warns Syria and Turkey against moves targeting Kurds
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – US Senator Lindsey Graham said he supports calls for calm in Syria and warned both the Syrian government and Turkey against any military action targeting Kurdish forces, citing what he described as “credible reports” of possible advances by Syrian army troops and Turkish forces.
In a statement published on his official X account, Graham said: “I completely endorse and support Senator Risch’s call for calm in Syria, putting the new Syrian government on notice that human rights abuses against minorities will not be tolerated. Most disturbing of all is that I’m getting what I believe to be credible reports that Syrian army forces and Turkey may be advancing further against our Kurdish allies – a move that I believe would invoke a strong reaction from the United States.”
Graham added that while he was prepared to give the new Syrian government an opportunity, any attack on Kurdish forces would be unacceptable. He wrote:
“While I support giving this new Syrian government a chance, I will not tolerate or accept a brazen attack against our Kurdish allies, who are the main force in destroying the ISIS caliphate.”
He concluded his statement with a direct message: “To the Syrian government and Turkey: choose wisely.”
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in northern and northeastern Syria, where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) remain the primary military force controlling large areas and leading security operations against sleeper cells of the Islamic State group. The SDF also secures detention facilities and displacement camps, including al-Hawl Camp, which houses tens of thousands of people linked to ISIS.
Washington has long described the SDF as its main partner in the fight against ISIS, with US officials crediting the force for dismantling the group’s territorial control in Syria in 2019 after years of battles.
Neither the Syrian government nor Turkish authorities have issued an official response to Graham’s statement as of Wednesday.