Reports: US reprimands Kurdish allies in Syria for raising PKK leader’s photos in rallies

The United States has reprimanded the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for raising flags and photos of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan  during rallies that took place two weeks ago in their areas of influence, local media outlets reported.

Syria TV quoted local sources as saying that the deputy US special envoy to Syria, David Brownstein, delivered a strongly worded message to SDF leader, Mazloum Abdi, expressing the US’ anger over the increasing public support for the PKK in the Kaddish administered areas, including raising Ocalan’s picture in demonstrations.

According to the reports, “the U.S. administration, through its envoy, has warned the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of the consequences of the PKK members’ continued dominance of power and steering the autonomous administration according to PKK’s policies and ideology.”

Two weeks ago, the SDF organised demonstrations and rallies in the city of Qamishli against the Turkish military operation that targeted PKK sites in northern Iraq.

The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU.

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