As the news of the fall of the Assad regime broke on Sunday, Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler held a phone call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Turkish ministry said in a social media post that two defense chiefs discussed the latest developments in Syria and security issues, along with bilateral and regional defense.
Türkiye and the United States are at odds over the U.S. stand on the YPG in Syria. The YPG is the Syria wing of the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist group both by Türkiye and the United States. Yet, Washington staunchly supports the YPG under the pretext of the joint fight against the terrorist group Daesh in Türkiye’s southeastern neighbor.
The United States will continue to maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of Daesh, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain’s capital on Sunday. Shapiro called on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly minorities, and respect international norms. He insisted that U.S. presence in Syria had nothing to do with the broader conflict and they would continue defending their presence as well as their “partners,” in reference to the YPG.