US-led anti-Daesh coalition spokesman tweets PKK slogan

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition tweeted Monday a Kurdish proverb abused by the PKK terror organization.

The post featured a retweeted video from the Voice of America in which an all-female class of SDF recruits was seen during the opening of a so-called academy in northeastern Syria.

One of the trainees tells the news outlet that they are ready to fight Turkish forces and their allies.

In response, Coalition spokesman Myles Caggins said the coalition "supports the military training of SDF specifically for the mission to defeat ISIS remnants in eastern Syria."

"The Coalition does not endorse the personal opinions expressed by any individual trainees," he said in response to questions from Anadolu Agency.

The YPG, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, is the main force that constitutes the SDF. U.S. reliance on the YPG and SDF in the anti-Daesh fight has angered Ankara and strained relations.

In 2018, former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Raymond Thomas asserted that YPG terror group has rebranded itself as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to have the necessary legitimacy it needs for a seat at the Syrian negotiation table.

The words of the coalition has repeatedly portrayed the SDF as a multi-ethnic, non-sectarian organization, but when asked why only YPJ -- the all-female branch of the YPG -- trainees are seen at the academy, Caggins said, "I refer you to the SDF for specific demographic information.”

“Turkey remains a member of the defeat ISIS Coalition. We have one mission with many nations participating to crush ISIS remnants,” he said.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to this report