Biden pick McGurk seen in Turkey as an Erdoğan antagonist
McGurk. Photo: Jordan Pix/Getty Images
Ankara The appointment of Brett McGurk as Middle East coordinator on President-elect Biden s National Security Council has already set alarm bells ringing in Turkey.
Why it matters: McGurk, who served as counter-ISIS envoy under both Barack Obama and Donald Trump, is considered a staunch critic of the Turkish government’s policies in the Middle East and an outspoken advocate of America s partnership with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to defeat ISIS.
The SDF is seen by Turkey as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.