US responds to Turkish anger over Milley’s visit to NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In response to Turkey’s reaction regarding the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General’s visit to northeast Syria, the US State Department linked the visit to the presence of the US troops in the region on Monday.
Ned Price, the US State Department Spokesman, said in a press briefing, “General Milley met only with US troops while in Syria. It was only an interaction with American service members.”
However, price, in his remarks, noted that answering any questions regarding the visit is the responsibility of the Department of Defense spokesman, “I’m not the Pentagon spokesperson.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned Jeff Flake, the US ambassador to Ankara, on Monday to ask for clarification regarding the visit of top US General Mark Milley to northeast Syria on March 4.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General made an unexpected visit to a US base in Syria to evaluate the mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) and review protection measures for US troops.
Price told reporters that “Flake did go to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs today for meetings and for discussions.”
The State Department Spokesman stressed, “Our service members are deployed in Syria in service of a goal” shared with Turkey, the US allies, and all members of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which is “the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General inspected force protection measures and received updates on the counter-ISIS mission, Milley’s spokesman, Dave Butler, told AFP.
Price said that, “the US Army chief does pop up around the world to visit with US service members. That’s what he did in this context.”