The United States has established at least three observation posts along the Turkish-Syrian border in an apparent dismissal of Turkish concerns about their role, an official with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) asserted today. The move highlights the complexities bedeviling the United States’ efforts to maintain a military presence in Syria with the help of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), who are the core component of the SDF, while scrambling to appease fellow NATO ally Turkey.

Contacted via telephone in northeast Syria, the SDF official — who spoke on condition that he not be identified by name — said the posts had been established in Kobane, Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ain in US-protected territory along Syria’s northeastern border with Turkey.

There is nothing secret about the deconfliction effort. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced in late November that he had given orders for the posts to be established. Turkey’s pro-government Yeni Safak labeled these posts “rogue espionage towers” erected in defense of “terrorists” — all part of a broader scheme in tandem with the United States’ “new partners,” Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party], to establish a “greater Israel.”

The reality is rather more prosaic. Col. Sean Ryan, US spokesman for the anti-Islamic State (IS) coalition, declined to divulge details as to the current status or whereabouts of the posts. But in emailed comments to Al-Monitor, Ryan asserted, “US forces are examining and securing locations for manned observation posts on the Syrian-Turkish border, and the reason is to support security and stability on the border and improve the coalition’s situational awareness to enable the continuing fight against IS.” In other words, the posts are being established.