Syrian Kurds find themselves in a difficult position after the fall of dictator Bashar Assad, as Islamists seize power in Damascus and Turkey seeks to carve out a slice of Syrian territory along its border.
Turkey views all Syrian Kurdish militia groups as a major security threat, insisting they are all linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a violent separatist organization in Turkey. This applies to Kurdish militias that were allies of the United States and Europe in the war against the Islamic State, such as the People’s Defense Units (YPG).
Turkish officials have a habit of naming all such militias as if they were wings of the PKK — for example, referring to the YPG as “PKK-YPG.” Turkey’s ruling AKP party also tries to delegitimize Kurdish politicians by accusing them of having secret links to the PKK.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invaded…
