Washington and Ankara have agreed to join forces not only to fight ISIS, but against “all terrorists organizations,” including the Kurdish PKK and the Fetullah Gulen’s movement, the Turkish presidency has said following Recep Erdogan’s phone conversation with Donald Trump.
The two leaders also “discussed recent developments in Syria, bilateral ties and a summit in Russia’s Sochi,” where President Vladimir Putin hosted Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier this week, the statement added.
Earlier, Turkey’s foreign minister announced that Washington has also allegedly agreed to stop arming the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia that serves as the backbone for the US-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
“Our discomfort regarding the provision of weapons to the YPG was conveyed to Mr Trump once again… Trump very clearly said he had given instructions to not provide weapons to the YPG,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in Ankara. “We welcome the promise of not providing weapons to the YPG, and want to see it implemented practically.”
Turkey has long argued that the US must stop funding and arming the Kurdish Units in Syria, emphasizing that YPG is a terrorist organization affiliated with its own homegrown Kurdish insurgent group, the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK).
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