Thursday, July 20, 2017

Turkey Leaks Positions of US Mil. Bases in Syria; Endangers US Security Because US Backs Kurds

Turkey's state-run news agency has leaked the positions of U.S. military bases and special forces stationed in northern Syria, as Ankara continues to vent anger over Washington's support for Syrian Kurds on its southern border, the Newsweek website reports today (July 20, 2017).


Anadolu news agency reported that the U.S. has 10 military points in northern Syria to assist the People's Protection Units -- or YPG -- in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group.


The YPG is a militia that Turkey says is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party -- or PKK -- a group that Turkey, the United States, and European Union have listed as an extremist organization, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey, in an effort to establish its own independent state.


The news agency said the bases are "usually hidden for security reasons," but proceeded to list 10 bases in the northern and northeastern Syrian districts of Al-Hasakah, Kobane, Manbij, and Raqqa -- a move that could split relations between the NATO partners.

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