A recent statement by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan didn’t receive much attention. During an appearance on a television program (Habertürk), Fidan responded to a question about the Syrian branch of the PKK, the YPG, by saying, “We have issues with 2.5 countries: the USA, the UK, and a bit with France.”
When it comes to the terrorist organization PKK, countries like the USA, France, and Germany often come up. President Erdoğan and other state officials frequently warn these countries to stay away from terrorist organizations and their connections. However, hearing “the UK” mentioned in an official, high-level context is a first for me (though one of my sources claims it has been said before, I haven’t seen it). This is significant and deserves attention.
I first asked my sources why the UK was mentioned. One response was, “In Syria, the UK is just like the USA.” Another was, “They provided special forces training to YPG terrorists at military bases and supplied the organization with ammunition.” I needed more details, so I looked through open sources and found some very interesting information.
The British Special Forces (BSF) conduct covert operations in 19 countries. Ukraine is one of their most active areas, where they clash with the Russian military. Their efforts extend to countries in Africa, primarily Nigeria, in their struggle against Russia. (Note: During Türkiye’s operation in Libya to protect its interests in the Blue Homeland, it was rumored that BSF was there as well, even seeking cooperation with Türkiye to target Wagner.) BSF is also present in Syria. With the onset of the civil war, the USA began training “opposition” groups, and the UK used its base in Jordan to join these training efforts.
The emergence of the ISIS threat, which former US President Donald Trump claimed was created by Obama, led to an intensification of BSF operations in Syria. By 2014, the British, like the Americans, started working closely with the Syrian branch of the PKK, the YPG. They were side by side with terrorist organization members during the “Kobani defense.” They operated in areas near the Turkish border, trained terrorist organization members (referred to as “British-trained Kurdish soldiers”), provided intelligence, supported terrorist activities through covert operations, and, along with the USA, encouraged the organization to gain territory in northern Syria.
Open sources indicate that intelligence was provided to the terrorist organization from British bases in Cyprus. These bases (particularly Akrotiri) served as logistical centers for aircraft carrying BSF personnel. These planes would turn off their radar signals over Syria and disappear, with their destinations being US bases in northern Syria.
Let’s take a side note here. It is known that the UK heavily uses its bases in Cyprus for Middle East operations. These bases, which were previously in the spotlight for airstrikes on Yemen, were also reportedly used for arms shipments to Israel (first reported in this column in “This Will Be Blamed on Arab Countries,” November 2023). A recent statement by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made Southern Cyprus a part of the regional crisis. Nasrallah warned that if Southern Cyprus allows its bases to be used by Israeli aircraft in a potential attack on Lebanon, it would become a target. Let’s close this side note and continue.
It is also interesting to note that BSF conducted operations covertly for a period because the British Parliament had not authorized sending troops to Syria. To maintain secrecy, some British soldiers were reportedly dressed in US military uniforms. This means that some of the “American” soldiers visiting YPG camps in Syria or posing with terrorists were actually BSF members.
ERDOĞAN-BIDEN MEETING AS A TURNING POINT
Examples of the British transgressions in northern Syria can be multiplied. So, will the process with the Americans and the British continue in this way? As we’ve written many times before, the US State Department and intelligence agencies are planning to withdraw from Syria, with the Biden administration leaning towards this view. However, CENTCOM (the US Central Command), which handles the Syria file, strongly opposes the withdrawal (Trump had also ordered a withdrawal from Syria, but American commanders delayed the process, undermining it). In the interview where Foreign Minister Fidan made the “2.5 countries” statement, he also noted that there had been progress in talks with the USA, saying, “I think we have reached a certain level of understanding.”
President Erdoğan’s meeting with US President Biden at the NATO summit in Vilnius last July was a turning point in Turkish-American relations. Since then, progress has been made on critical issues such as Sweden’s NATO membership and the F-16 deal. The two countries have agreed to “evaluate the PKK issue from a strategic perspective.” It was announced that counter-terrorism talks between Ankara and Washington have resumed.
A meeting planned for May between the two leaders was eagerly anticipated as it was crucial to seeing the continuation of the process, but it was postponed. President Erdoğan will visit Washington in the coming days (July 9-11) to attend the NATO leaders’ summit. There is a possibility that the postponed meeting will take place and that he will meet with Biden. It is also expected that defense and foreign ministers, as well as intelligence chiefs from both countries, will have separate meetings during this visit. Following these critical meetings, we may obtain a clearer picture of the future of Turkish-American relations and the presence of the PKK in Syria—whether positive or negative. If “in Syria, the UK is just like the USA,” then these talks will also closely concern London.