Ankara has not formally responded, but the latest US defense spending plan has deepened Turkish concerns over American support for the YPG-led SDF, which Türkiye considers indistinguishable from the PKK terror network.
The Pentagon’s 2026 budget allocates $130 million through its Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF) to support armed groups in Syria, most notably the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
According to a Department of Defense budget justification document, these funds are intended to cover training, equipment, and monthly stipends for the SDF and the Syrian Free Army operating in southeastern Syria, as well as “vetted partner forces” in Iraq and Lebanon. The package includes light weapons, medical supplies, and infrastructure repairs. The document underscores that a Daesh (ISIS) resurgence poses a threat to US interests, regional stability, and global security.
The YPG is widely recognized as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which Türkiye, the US, and the EU all classify as a terrorist organization.
Most of the funding flows to the YPG-dominated SDF
Of the $130 million earmarked for Syria, only about $7.4 million is directed to the Syrian Free Army, expected to bolster operations against Daesh remnants in the Badiyah Desert. The bulk of the funds goes to the SDF.
This allocation follows $147.9 million in 2025 and $156 million in 2024 funneled to similar groups under the same anti-Daesh justification — a rationale Türkiye has consistently dismissed as a pretext for arming terrorists along its border.
Türkiye maintains that aiding the PKK/YPG under any guise constitutes direct support for terrorism. The PKK’s insurgency, spanning four decades, has claimed over 40,000 lives, including civilians, women, and children.
