Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD)

The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has been the source of a rift between Turkey and the United States over its designation as a terrorist organization by the former, was not aiming to establish a Kurdish state in Syria, the party's head has said.

Ankara has vowed to support the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with regards to the Turkey-backed rebels' efforts to clear their own lands in northern Syria of both jihadists and Syrian Kurdish forces. 

Turkey will not deploy its own infantry in Syria to retake the northern city of al-Bab from jihadists but it will use Ankara-backed Syrian rebels, Defense Minister Fikri Işık said Sept. 21. 

"Our current planning is that we will conduct the operation with fighters of the Free Syrian Army [FSA]. Thus, we do not plan to join this operation with our own infantries," Işık said. 

The next target within the scope of the anti-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) operation, which Turkey launched around one month ago, is Syria's al-Bab, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 19. 

Turkey-backed rebels may extend their zone of control in northern Syria by pushing south and were now focused on heading toward the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-held town of al-Bab, Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 19. 

Three American flags were lowered on top of buildings under the control of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Tal Abyad town in northern Syria on Sept. 17, a local source in the region told Anadolu Agency.

The U.S. flags had emerged at the group's base in the area on Sept. 16, according to the source.

Turkey's efforts to create a safe zone in Syria will continue until the Turkish border is safe and all threats to the country have been removed, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on Sept. 9, Reuters reported. 

Ankara and Washington are discussing military action on Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told a group of journalists on his way back to Turkey from the G-20 summit in China, where he had a tête-à-tête meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. 

A delegation to Israel and Palestine from Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has said the Fatah party in Palestine resents being "ignored" by the Turkish government.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said failing to prepare for the aftermath of the ousting of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was the worst mistake of his presidency.

Since then, this mistake seems to have marked Obama's policies in the Middle East.