Guler reportedly also urged the U.S.to support Turkish-backed moderate Arab forces against the Islamic State in northern Syria, rather than relying so much on the Syrian Kurds.The exchange illustrates how “the US campaign has helped empower the Turkish military and increased the importance of military-to-military contacts”, argues Bulent Aliriza, who directs Turkey studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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Army Col. Steve Warren said that while US special operations forces have historically and routinely worn the insignia of foreign troops they are working with, this case was not appropriate due largely to political sensitivities.
The politician also added that he does not believe that the USA will continue its current approach in Syria as this would hurt relations with an important ally like Turkey.
Cook also faced a barrage of questions about whether or not the special operations forces were on the front lines, since in the past USA officials have stressed that American troops are not at the battlefront.
Agence France-Presse released photos showing armed men in uniform identified by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as USA special operations in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa on May 25.
The U.S. Defense Department has said its troops often wear the insignias of the fighters they are with in order to better blend in.
He declined to provide any specifics about their location, but reports suggest they were in or near Fatisah, which was one of three villages that Syrian forces took back from ISIS militants in recent days. Others have the patch of a Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Uniforms and the patches on them may seem of trivial importance compared to many other things in warfare, but they aren’t.
“Our suggestion to them is that they should also wear Daesh, al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda insignias during their operations in other regions of Syria”.
Photos of USA special operations forces wearing the insignia surfaced this week, and Turkish leaders relayed their complaint to the U.S.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated criticism of the patches Saturday and accused the USA of not being “honest”, according to The Associated Press. “But it’s also important to understand the larger strategic context, which I think that the inappropriateness of it, that they didn’t understand that or appreciate it as they should have”.
He said Turkey had expressed its views on the matter to US officials. He added:”Those who are our friends, those who are with us in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, should not and can not send their soldiers to Syria with the sign of the YPG”.
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Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, which it considers a terrorist group. He added that the YPG is “taking the fight to Daesh in northern Syria and is a very effective fighting force”.
