The United States scrambled Friday to avert a rift with its ally Turkey after AFP pictures revealed US commandos operating in Syria wearing the insignia of a Kurdish militia branded a terror group by Ankara.
The United States scrambled Friday to avert a rift with its ally Turkey after AFP pictures revealed US commandos operating in Syria wearing the insignia of a Kurdish militia branded a terror group by Ankara.
The Pentagon announced that special operations troops in northern Syria would henceforth stop wearing the badge of the YPG guerrillas, after Turkey accused the United States of "unacceptable" behavior.
It had long been public knowledge that around 200 US commandos are in northern Syria helping local militia target the Takfiri group, ISIL's de facto capital Raqa and guiding in coalition air strikes.
But the sight, revealed by AFP photographs, of US special forces sporting the YPG badge proved a step too far for Ankara, which regards it as a branch of the Turkey-based "terrorist" PKK guerrilla movement.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the United States of "hypocrisy" and "double standards" and said the American soldiers might just as well have worn the logo of Al-Qaeda, the ISIL group or Boko Haram.
The State Department played down the spat, insisting that Washington and Ankara remain close partners in the broader fight against the ISIL, despite disagreements about the role of the YPG.
"We understand Turkey's concerns, let me make that clear, and we continue to discuss this as well as other concerns Turkey has," spokesman Mark Toner said.
"With respect to Turkey's comments about these photos we've been very clear... about our belief that the YPG is not connected to the PKK," Toner said.
"And we're going to continue to support them with our assist and support operation," he said.
Despite the US military's determination to continue to work with the YPG, which provides the bulk of the so-called "Syrian Democratic Forces" fighting the ISIL group, the Pentagon said the badges would be removed.
