erdogan tells visiting us defence chief uneasy over arming
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Over Washington arming a Syrian Kurdish

Erdogan tells visiting US defence chief 'uneasy' over arming

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Erdogan tells visiting US defence chief 'uneasy' over arming

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Ankara - Emirates Voice

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday told visiting Pentagon chief Jim Mattis of Turkey's uneasiness over Washington arming a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as a terror group by Ankara, a policy which has strained ties between the NATO allies.
Mattis made the one-day visit after stopping in Iraq to review progress in the campaign against the Islamic State group, urging coalition partners to prevent other political issues from disrupting the growing momentum against the jihadists.
He met with Erdogan at the presidential palace after talks with Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli in Ankara.
Turkey, an important NATO ally of the United States and part of the coalition fighting the IS militants, is incensed that Washington has been arming the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the assault on the jihadists' stronghold of Raqa, in northern Syria.
Turkey regards the YPG as the Syrian affiliate of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), but Washington has been impressed with its ability to combat IS on the ground.
In May, the Pentagon said it had begun transferring small arms, including AK-47s, and vehicles to the YPG to support its role as a leading player in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Syrian Arab alliance fighting IS.
During the meeting, Erdogan told Mattis that Turkey was "uneasy over the US support" for the YPG, presidential sources said.
The Pentagon said Mattis addressed Turkey's "legitimate" security concerns in the meeting and both men expressed a shared interest for their countries "to create conditions for a more stable and secure region."
- 'Whatever the price' -
Erdogan has repeatedly vowed that Turkey will thwart any attempt by the YPG to carve out a Kurdish state in northern Syria, leaving open the possibility of a cross-border operation to prise the town of Afrin from Kurdish control.
"Turkey will not allow a terror corridor reaching the Mediterranean in northern Syria," Erdogan told reporters on his plane back from a visit to Jordan.
"Whatever the price, we will conduct the necessary intervention," he said, quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper on Wednesday.
Last August, Ankara launched a cross-border operation in northern Syria aimed at clearing the border zone of both YPG fighters and jihadists.
Complaining about Washington's arming of the YPG, Erdogan said up to 1,000 trucks had crossed from Iraq to Syria carrying weapons for the SDF, which Turkey fears will reach the PKK.
The rise of jihadists in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib has also caused concern in Ankara, Moscow and Tehran.
Erdogan alluded to plans for Idlib, controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist alliance, but would not elaborate, only saying: "What is there now? There is Idlib."
- 'Cancel Kurdish referendum' -
US officials said Tuesday that the grinding fight was the "priority" in the campaign against IS since the fall last month of Mosul, the jihadists' Iraqi hub.
The Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq -- whose peshmerga security forces are playing a key role in the fight against IS -- is planning its own independence referendum in September.
But at the date approaches, the plan is fuelling increasing discomfort in the region.
Mattis met Tuesday with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani in Erbil to express US opposition to the referendum. 
Erdogan and Mattis reaffirmed their opposition to the vote, Turkish presidential sources said on Wednesday.
And Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Baghdad to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other Iraqi officials, reiterated Turkey's opposition to the "wrong" decision to hold the referendum.
Cavusoglu also held talks with Barzani in Arbil.
The US is concerned at signs of warming ties between Iran and Turkey, whose relationship in the past has been far from straightforward. 
The Pentagon said Mattis and Canikli discussed "concern over Iran's malign influence in the region", without giving further details.
Iranian armed forces chief General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri visited Turkey last week, with both sides agreeing to step up regional security and oppose the Kurdish referendum.
Erdogan on Monday said a joint operation with Iran against Kurdish militants based in Iraq was "always on the agenda", but Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied the claim.

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

erdogan tells visiting us defence chief uneasy over arming erdogan tells visiting us defence chief uneasy over arming

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

erdogan tells visiting us defence chief uneasy over arming erdogan tells visiting us defence chief uneasy over arming

 



GMT 16:17 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Five Saudi women pilots granted GACA licences

GMT 23:35 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

EUPOL COPPS appoints new EU head of the police mission

GMT 23:19 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

Iran big obstacle to regional peace

GMT 09:40 2017 Monday ,08 May

ADX launches New York roadshow

GMT 13:55 2011 Saturday ,18 June

American output picks up

GMT 09:23 2016 Thursday ,11 February

Paris, Frankfurt stocks markets dip more than 3%

GMT 13:44 2013 Sunday ,28 April

Egyptian information chief resigns

GMT 14:08 2012 Monday ,06 February

Spark tablet runs Linux

GMT 14:27 2017 Thursday ,24 August

Rising tennis stars in the US Open spotlight

GMT 03:03 2012 Friday ,27 April

10 unusual winter travel destinations

GMT 15:44 2012 Sunday ,02 December

Store sells solid gold tree

GMT 16:48 2017 Tuesday ,17 October

HRH Premier receives outgoing Iraqi ambassador

GMT 11:30 2017 Tuesday ,21 March

Al-Basher Receives Messages from Erdogan

GMT 08:32 2017 Saturday ,07 October

Saudi FM praises his country’s relation with Russia

GMT 00:37 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Bitcoin slumps below $10,000

GMT 08:11 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

Philippines' Mayon volcano alert raised

GMT 14:03 2018 Saturday ,13 January

IGCF to Debate Impact of Digital Age

GMT 20:15 2018 Tuesday ,09 January

ADGM and Bahrain EDB agree to collaborate on fintech

GMT 13:24 2017 Monday ,20 March

Luis Enrique, Pique marvel at prolific Messi

GMT 11:28 2017 Saturday ,29 April

Artist Maia Diab denies retirement
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice