Turkish public divided over military's alliance with FSA
Turkey’s preoccupation with military insignia helps deepen anti-Americanism while also signaling the top echelons’ obsession with the United States.
On Feb. 4, most Turkish newspaper headlines blared deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag’s statement that “US soldiers wearing People’s Protection Units [YPG] insignia are also targets” in Turkey's offensive against Kurds in Afrin, Syria.
The United States has supported the Kurdish YPG in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, but Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group. Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) hasn't forgotten the images of US soldiers sporting YPG patches, which date back to June 2016.
