ISTANBUL The Pentagon has allocated $130 million for 2026 under the "Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF)" for groups in Syria including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group led by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization. According to a Department of Defense document on the justification of its 2026 budget, the fund aims to support the training, equipment and monthly stipends of the US-backed SDF and Syrian Free Army based in southeastern Syria, along with "vetted partner forces" in Iraq