NEW YORK

The US ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, on Friday described the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as “YPG, a derivative of the PKK,” and made clear that Washington does not support the creation of a separate SDF state or “free Kurdistan” in Syria.

“SDF is YPG. YPG is a derivative of PKK,” Barrack said in response to a question during a press briefing at the Foreign Press Center in New York. “YPG was a spin-off of PKK that we allied with to fight ISIS,” he said.

“So there’s a big sentiment that, because they were our partners, we owe them. The question is, what do we owe them? We don’t owe them the ability to have their own independent government within a government,” he said.

“There’s not an indication that there’s going to be a free Kurdistan. There’s not an indication that there’s going to be a separate SDF state. There’s no indication on our part that there’s going to be a separate Alawite state or a separate Jewish state. There’s Syria,” he added.

He said the Syrian government rejects federalism and ruled out the attempts to divide the country along ethnic or sectarian lines as unworkable, adding: “You can’t have a separate Druze force dressed like Druze, separate Alawite force dressed like Alawites, separate Kurd force dressed like Kurds, and on and on. There’s going to be one entity.”

Barrack noted that the US is encouraging dialogue but made clear that it will not remain in Syria “forever.”

“We’ll bring you together, we’ll arbitrate, we’ll mediate, we’ll help, but we’re not going to stick around,” he said, adding: “If you guys don’t agree, don’t agree, but we’re not going to be here forever as the babysitter.”

The Turkish government has repeatedly stressed over the years that the so-called SDF is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by both the US and Türkiye.

Successive US administrations, however—including President Trump’s first term, as well as those of Presidents Obama and Biden—have regarded the SDF as their primary partner in the fight against ISIS (Daesh) in Syria.

- Türkiye’s regional role and defense ties

Responding to other questions, Barrack praised Türkiye’s strategic importance, particularly in conflicts such as Ukraine-Russia and the Middle East.

“I have to say, I'm extremely proud of the role that Türkiye has played in all of these instances,” he said. “They have been pivotal. President Erdogan, (Foreign Minister) Hakan Fidan, (Director of the National Intelligence Organization) Ibrahim Kalin—all of the senior members of the Turkish government—have acted on behalf (of regional diplomacy).”

“They have this very unique relationship with all the parties, and they've been incredibly helpful to us not only in the Ukraine-Russia situation but as it relates to Gaza and Israel,” he added.

Barrack also highlighted the transformation of Türkiye’s defense industry in response to sanctions, saying: “Türkiye, being so smart and having a bright and industrious community, starts manufacturing drones themselves and their own jets. By the way, the TB2s—the Bayraktar drones—are probably the best drones in the world, utilized in the Ukraine war.”

Referring to current bilateral ties, Barrack said: “We came back and said, ‘Okay, now we have a very good relationship.’ President Trump and President Erdogan have done a fantastic job of clawing back at each other and redefining the relationship that was left empty. And I don’t mean this as a political comment, but during the Biden and Obama administrations, Türkiye was not loved—and they felt not loved.”

- F-35 program

Regarding Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program, Barrack said: “This has been a long story for almost a decade coming to an end. What is that end? A negotiation and a discussion of saying, how can we turn back the clock?”

“F-35 is something that Congress has to look at and approve in its entirety, separate from CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). Those discussions are going on simultaneously with all the other discussions.”