Does the US want to legitimize the PKK/YPG by changing its name?
The American flag has been raised over the PKK/YPG terrorist organization's base, Syria, Oct. 10, 2019, Anadolu Agency
Although the so-called elections that the terrorist organization PKK/YPG was preparing to organize in Northern Syria have been postponed, Washington’s relationship with the PKK/YPG continues to be a topic of discussion. It has been claimed that the U.S. aims to legitimize the terrorist organization by changing the name of PKK/YPG.
While the U.S. provides weapons and training support to the PKK/YPG, it has announced that it welcomed the PKK/YPG’s decision to postpone the so-called elections. However, Washington did not wish for the elections to be canceled.
In a statement released by the U.S. State Department, it mentioned that there were no favorable conditions for holding elections in the region, but it was not said that the elections were illegitimate.
Moreover, the terrorist organization used the term “Syrian Democratic Republic” in its statement regarding the so-called elections. However, due to Syria’s territorial integrity, the region is part of the Syrian Arab Republic. This has raised allegations that the U.S., which supports the terrorist organization, seeks to legitimize the PKK/YPG and is working to establish an autonomous administration in the region.
Another development supporting this claim emerged with the U.S. State Department’s statement on the subject. In its statement, the U.S. State Department said:
Any elections in Syria must be free, fair, transparent, and inclusive, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. We do not believe that the conditions for such elections are currently in place in Northeast Syria. We have communicated this to a number of actors in Northeast Syria, including the Democratic Autonomous Administration for North and East Syria (DAANES), and urged them not to proceed with elections at this time.
U.S. State Department
In the past, U.S. Special Forces Commander Gen. Raymond Thomas said that overnight, despite Turkey’s objections, they changed the name of the PKK to the SDF and gave them legitimacy by adding the word ‘democratic’ to their name. The U.S. commander admitted that Brett McGurk, the PKK’s patron, devised this formula.
