Pentagon rejects Turkish operation in northern Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – As Turkish voices calling for a military operation in northern Syria grow louder, the US Pentagon stressed on Tuesday their rejection of any Turkish operation in Syria that could further “destabilize” the region.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, in a Press Briefing, said his country rejects any Turkish “ground offensive into northern Syria,” as it “could further destabilize the region.”
In response to a question about the possibility of Turkey launching a military operation in Syria, Ryder noted that his country has had a very clear stance, rejecting any “ground offensive” that could “negatively impact the defeat ISIS mission.”
Launching a ground invasion in Syria is “possible at any time depending on the perceived threat level,” Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman and foreign policy adviser to Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said on January 14.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander-in-Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said in an interview with Al-Monitor on January 15 that the SDF takes Turkey’s threats seriously, expecting an invasion in February, most likely in Kobani.
When asked about the US position over any Turkish military operation in Syria, Abdi noted that it expressed its clear rejection of any Turkish operation, but the US “efforts are falling short. Therefore, they need to do more.”
On January 16, the senior US representative to North and East Syria, Nicholas Granger, stressed in a meeting with a delegation of Assyrian and Syriac parties in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria, that preventing any Turkish operation is a priority for his country.
Ryder stressed that the US has previously “communicated” its position to Turkey.
The press conference preceded a meeting scheduled for Wednesday between US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and his Turkish counterpart in Washington DC.
In regard to the opposition facing the F-16 sale deal with Turkey, Ryder said, it is “a congressional decision…I’m not going to stand at the podium and tell Congress what they should or should not do.”
He stressed that Turkey and the US are partners in “an alliance…not only in the region but around the world.”
On January 12, the State Department sent the informal notice to Congress to inform the Senate and House of Representatives of its intention to proceed with the F-16 fighter jets deal with Turkey for $20 billion.