UPDATE - US to directly arm YPG, Pentagon confirms

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM PENTAGON SPOKESWOMAN, DEFENSE OFFICIAL

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. will begin to directly arm the YPG, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump authorized the Defense Department to equip "Kurdish elements" of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday "to ensure a clear victory" over Daesh in Raqqah, Syria, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.

"The SDF, partnered with enabling support from U.S. and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize" Raqqah in the near future, she added.

The announcement over Turkey's objections comes one week before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Washington and meet Trump.

The U.S. support for the SDF has been a major strain on relations between Washington and Ankara as the YPG forms the backbone of SDF forces.

Turkey considers the PYD and its armed wing, the YPG, to be the Syrian offshoots of the PKK, a proscribed terrorist organization in the U.S., Turkey and the EU.

But Washington has adamantly resisted similarly designating the YPG, using it as a principal partner in the ground war in the fight against Daesh in northern Syria.

The Pentagon said the U.S. is "keenly aware" of Turkey's security concerns as it announced the policy shift.

"We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the U.S. is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally," White said.

"The U.S. continues to prioritize our support for Arab elements of the SDF," she said, adding that Raqqah "and all liberated territory should return to the governance of local Syrian Arabs."

The Pentagon did not immediately specify what types of support the U.S. would begin to supply under the new authorities, but a Defense official told Anadolu Agency it would include small arms, machine guns, ammunition, armored vehicles, trucks and engineering equipment.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.