US Fighter Jet Shoots Down Turkish Drone in Syria, Prompting Discussions

In a recent phone call between top US and Turkish officials, tensions were discussed after US forces in Syria shot down an armed Turkish drone. The US claimed that the drone had come too close to their ground forces, while Turkey simply stated that it was lost during operations. During the call, Turkey's intelligence chief, Hakan Fidan, informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Turkey would continue targeting Kurdish groups. This is significant as the US has been working with Kurdish YPG forces in Syria, but Turkey considers them to be separatists and terrorists. Mr. Fidan made it clear that Turkey's counter-terrorism operations in Iraq and Syria would persist. Meanwhile, the US stressed the need for coordination and deconfliction between the two countries. The incident marked the first clash between the two NATO allies. Turkey has been conducting airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq following a suicide attack on its interior ministry. The PKK, considered a terror group by Turkey, the EU, UK, and US, claimed responsibility for the attack. Turkey also sees the YPG as part of the PKK, whereas the US has collaborated with the YPG as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against the Islamic State. Shortly after the phone call, Turkey announced renewed attacks on Kurdish targets in northern Syria. The Turkish defense ministry stated that they hit 15 Kurdish targets with a significant amount of ammunition, including headquarters and shelters. The conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK dates back to 1984, with the PKK initially calling for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey. Although they later revised their demands to advocate for greater Kurdish autonomy, the conflict reignited in 2015 after a two-year ceasefire ended.