He said the FSA, who have been fighting Daesh across northern Syria with the backing of Turkey and are currently mopping up in the town of Al-Bab, could be the lead forces in the Raqqah operation.
“There will be an Al Bab-style fight in Raqqah,” Yildirim told journalists at a security conference in Munich. “There are Turkish troops in the region supporting FSA fighters.” The premier was talking on Sunday following a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the Bavarian capital.
Discussing the relationship with the new administration in Washington, Yildirim said Turkey had turned a “new page” with President Donald Trump’s government and said his discussions with Pence had focused on Syria and the potential extradition of U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating the July coup attempt.
In Syria, Turkey wants to see the U.S. end its support for the PKK/PYD -- the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, which has waged war on Turkish soil since 1984 and is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.
“We told them that using PYD/YPG elements to fight Daesh was not the right method of fighting,” Yildirim said. The YPG is the armed wing of the PYD. “It is not correct to use a terror group to fight another terror group. So the job should be done worthily of a strategic partnership, a NATO alliance. I think they will take this sensitivity into consideration.”
He said the U.S. was considering its ties to the PKK/PYD. “They are in an evaluation process,” he added. “We should wait for the result. I guess they will evaluate and take a decision soon.”