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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The global coalition against the Islamic State on Friday warned Turkey that its aircraft could be targeted if deemed to pose a threat to the US forces in northeast Syria (Rojava). This comes one day after a Turkish armed drone was downed by American air forces in Hasaka.
Turkish drones have carried out dozens of airstrikes against the Kurdish administration in Rojava, especially energy and power facilities. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it downed a Turkish armed drone in Hasaka after it was deemed a threat by US troops in the city. Turkey has confirmed the incident without providing details.
The US-led global coalition said in a statement late Friday that “multiple uncoordinated air strikes were conducted in close proximity of U.S. forces in Syria” since yesterday.
“We oppose actions which threaten regional stability and security; jeopardize the safety of our forces, partner forces, and the civilian population; and distract from our shared commitment to the enduring defeat of ISIS,” added the coalition.
“We reserve our inherent right to self-defense any time when faced with threats that place our forces in harm’s way,” warned the multi-nation military alliance.
Footage of a drone, ostensibly exploding in the air in Hasaka, went viral on social media on Thursday. Several news outlets later reported that it was a Turkish drone that was downed by US air forces.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed in a press briefing hours later that the drone was in fact Turkish and was shot down by US forces.
He said that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler spoke on the phone regarding the “regrettable incident.”
“No US forces were injured during the incident. We have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting US forces,” noted Brigadier General Ryder.
The US has around 1,000 troops in Rojava.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan spoke on the phone on Friday.
“The Secretary and the Foreign Minister underscored that the United States and Türkiye share a common objective of defeating terrorist threats. Regardless of where the threats are based—in Syria, Iraq, or elsewhere—they undermine the security of the United States, Türkiye, and our Allies. The Secretary highlighted the need to coordinate and deconflict our activities,” said the Department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement.
Over the last few days, Turkish drones have hit several power stations and oil fields as well as other basic service facilities in Rojava. Fifteen people, including eight civilians, have been killed during airstrikes in the last two days, according to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
SDF, the main ally of the global coalition against ISIS in Syria, called on the coalition to respond to “ the Turkish occupation’s attacks on civilians, service institutions, and public facilities,” the same way it did with downing the drone.
Turkish state media reported that Fidan told Blinken that his country should stop supporting the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the backbone of the SDF.
The latest Turkish airstrikes follow a suicide attack against Turkey’s interior ministry in Ankara on Sunday - which the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) later claimed responsibility for.
PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is proscribed as a terrorist organization by Ankara. Turkey also considers the YPG as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday that any facility linked to the PKK in Iraq and Syria would constitute “legitimate targets,” for his country. He claimed that the two perpetrators of the Ankara attack had entered Turkey from Syria. The SDF has rejected the claim.
Updated at 10:10 pm
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