The US has reportedly set up a military base near the city of al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria. It is 70 kilometers from the border of Turkey and 50 kilometers from the border of Iraq, according to BasNews. Sputnik Turkey spoke with a source on the ground and experts in foreign policy about the pros and cons of this new base.

According to BasNews, citing a source in the Syrian Democratic Forces, the United States has placed 800 military personnel on the base. The report suggests that the new base may have been created for the purpose of providing support to the democratic forces of Syria, which are involved in the operation to free Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor from the terrorists.

A source in the Syrian Democratic Forces, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed to Sputnik Turkey the existence of a large US military base in the village of Til Beder, located 35 km from the town of al-Hasakah.

“Recently, the Chairman of Board of the Democratic Forces of Syria, İlhan Ehmed, visited the United States and the trip was highly successful. After this visit the US began its work on the creation of a military base in the Til Beder area,” the source said.

The source further said that the US military has already arrived to the base in Syria and after its completion it will be the largest US military base in the country.

According to the source, the base will host a thousand of US military personnel; meanwhile it is designed for five thousand soldiers. US airplanes will also use this base and its primary objective will be to facilitate the operation to liberate Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

Representative for foreign affairs of the Syrian Democratic Forces (DSS) Abdulaziz Yunus also confirmed to Sputnik, the presence of the US military in the region of Til Beder.

“As it is known, the US military is present in many parts of the district of Rojava [Syrian Kurdish region]. They are also located in the village of Til Beder,” he said.

Oya Akgonenc Mugisuddin, a former member of the Turkish Parliament and head of the department of international relations at the University of Ufuk in Ankara, spoke with Sputnik Turkey saying that that the news of the US forming a base in Syria, near the area which is under the control of the Kurdish forces is a cause for grave concern.

“Moreover, the Syrian Kurds are refusing to comply with the decisions taken in the course of the negotiations in Astana, and that makes this development with the base even more dangerous,” Mugisuddin said.

The US armed the Syrian Kurds, thereby making it clear on whose side it is in the Syrian conflict. But what is in it for the Americans?

“Firstly, all this gives the US the ability to carry on the war in Syria and Iraq mediated by the forces of the Syrian Kurds as allies.”

Secondly, this is going to ensure the security of Israel because in their opinion Israel's security can only be ensured by the formation of a unified Kurdish region.

According to the head this will allow Israel to use Kurdish areas as a buffer zone against possible attacks by Iran and it will provide a playing card against the Arabs in case they threaten to attack.

He further said that the US should hold a more balanced policy in the Middle East as it is not reasonable to try and protect Israel and create Kurdistan just because Tel Aviv wants it.

“It can lead to a complete reformatting of the Middle East region. Countries that are in or near this region will never allow it. Therefore, in my opinion by creating a military base in Syria, the Americans did not step towards peace, rather they took a step towards war,” Mugisuddin said.

However, Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian JT Rankine-Galloway told Sputnik later on Tuesday that reports that the US-led coalition has a military base in al-Hasakah in northern Syria are "inaccurate."