US: Soldiers Not Authorized to Wear YPG Patches

(27 May 2016) A military spokesman said that two U.S. soldiers were not authorized to wear YPG patches on their uniforms and were instructed to remove them after images surfaced apparently showing them wearing the insignia of a group opposed by Turkey. Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren told media Friday that “corrective action“ had been taken, and that the U.S. had been in communication with military partners and allies in the region. Turkey lashed out on Friday at the U.S., relaying its displeasure to officials in Washington and Turkey and rejecting explanations that the patches were for the soldier’s protection. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, or PKK, an armed insurgent group which it has fought for decades and is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Turkey is an ally in the coalition against IS but the two countries are at odds over the involvement of Kurdis