Retired NATO general expects US to reassess CENTCOM's ties with PKK/YPG terror group

ISTANBUL

Retired General Tod D. Wolters, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said he expects the next US administration under Donald Trump to review the relationship between the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the PKK/YPG terrorist organization.

"I expect the new administration to examine the relationship that is taking place that CENTCOM currently has as a policy.

"I do not know what the outcome will be, but I do know that there needs to be a dialog between what CENTCOM sees with respect to the (terrorist) YPG, PKK, where the US sits, where CENTCOM sees, how Türkiye plays into it, how NATO plays into it, how USEUCOM (the United States European Command) plays into it," Wolters told Anadolu.

Türkiye has long complained of the US working with the PKK/YPG on the pretext of fighting Daesh/ISIS. Turkish officials say using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense.

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

The US currently has around 900 special forces soldiers in Syria to support the YPG/PKK terrorist group, which uses the name SDF.

The US has smaller bases such as the al-Omar oil field and Al-Shaddadi, mostly in the country's northeast, and a small outpost known as the Al-Tanf garrison near Syria's border with Iraq and Jordan.

NATO's defense spending target

Wolters noted that the Trump administration will continue its policy toward NATO's defense spending target and assessed that Trump could raise his voice if some countries fail to reach the target of allocating 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense.

"I think this policy is one that needs to continue.

"I think that's the stance that President Trump should take, I think he will take, whether it's 2% or something above that. I suspect there'll be a new number, and I suspect there'll be a time frame associated with it," he said.

Wolters said the defense ministers of NATO countries also support this policy.

"They are advocates of this demanding policy, because all it does is improve the strategic disposition of their militaries, and it makes their nations stronger."

Next administration's possible approach on Russia-Ukraine war

Regarding the next Trump administration's possible approach on the Russia-Ukraine War, Wolters said: "I think what is going to change is President Trump is going to be more proactive with respect to strategic-level dialog that occurs between Russia and Ukraine and surrounding nations.

"I think he's going to find a way to promote greater dialog to get to a solution sooner rather than later. I don't know what President Trump's plan is. He has proposed that he can get this solved in a very short period of time."

"I don't know what the parameters of that are, but I do know this: He will seek counsel from his new cabinet. He will hear them out. They will make a collective decision," he added.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel