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Erdogan says US diplomat McGurk 'walking with terrorists' over support for Kurds

Erdogan says US diplomat McGurk 'walking with terrorists' over support for Kurds
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly said that he was 'deeply disturbed' by veteran diplomat McGurk's support for Kurdish-led armed groups in Syria.
2 min read
01 October, 2021
Erdogan has pinpointed Brett McGurk for criticism before [Getty]

Turkish President has condemnedÌý,Ìýa Middle East security advisor for the Biden administration,Ìýfor his support of Kurdish-led militias in northeast Syria.

The Turkish state'sÌýAnadolu Agency on Thursday that he was "deeply disturbed" by the veteran diplomat "walkingÌýarmÌýin armÌýwith terrorist organisations" in Syria.

AsÌýUS envoyÌýto the anti-Islamic State (IS)ÌýGlobal Coalition from 2015, McGurk was instrumental in US support for the Kurdish-led militias as they fought IS, whichÌýtore through Syria and neighbouring Iraq the year before.

Among the main armed local groups that have fought IS was the People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkey claims the YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a separatistÌýgroup that has fought the Turkish stateÌýsince the 1980s.Ìý

The PKK and the YPG say they are distinct from one another, but share an ideology. Like Turkey, the US hasÌýlisted the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

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Erdogan also said on Thursday that the US shouldÌýleave Syria, AA reported.

Turkey's significant presence in Syria grew considerably when it seized control of parts of Syria northeast that were under the control ofÌýKurdish-led forces, a few daysÌýafter TrumpÌýwithdrew some US troops from northeast Syria with little warning.

Syrian Kurdish commanders have warned that a further US pullback from would make them vulnerable to both further Turkish offensives and a resurgence of IS, who are still active in parts of Syria's east.

Syrian Kurdish commander recently said that the US had reassured him that northeast Syria was not at risk of a US withdrawal.

Erdogan has targeted McGurk before, from the from his anti-IS coalition envoy role in 2017.

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