The Trump administration’s special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, held a telephone conversation on Thursday with the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, knowledgeable sources have confirmed to Al-Monitor. Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, was assigned the Syrian file last week. 

The sources said that Barrack had assured the SDF chief, Mazlum Kobane, of the United States’ continued support for his forces in the fight against the Islamic State and encouraged him to continue US-mediated de-escalation talks between the SDF and Turkey. The sources did not elaborate further on the substance of yesterday’s exchange that is part of an ongoing effort to allow Washington to pursue its partnership with the Syrian Kurds in concert with, rather than in spite of, Turkey, a key NATO ally.

Barrack made the call from Damascus, where he raised the American flag over the US ambassador’s residence for the first time in 13 years since it was shuttered due to the eruption of Syria’s civil conflict. 

The US Embassy in Syria’s press office did not provide a comment.