Trump tells Erdoğan weapons won't be supplied to PKK/PYD in Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump pledged that there would not be no further weapon deliveries to the main PKK/PYD militia in Syria, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced on Friday.
- World
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 12:00 | 24 November 2017
- Modified Date: 06:43 | 24 November 2017
Turkey said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump told President Tayyip Erdoğan he had issued instructions that weapons should not be provided to PKK/PYD fighters in Syria, and that the Turkish government hoped to see that order carried out.
"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," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told a news conference in Ankara.
"We welcome the promise of not providing weapons to the YPG, and want to see it implemented practically."
Çavuşoğlu also said that Russia, Iran and Turkey would decide jointly who would attend Syrian peace talks. Turkey has said it would not accept the presence of YPG representatives.
Turkey considers the Kurdish Syrian fighters, known by the initials YPG, to be terrorists because of their affiliation to outlawed PKK terror organization in Turkey. A U.S. decision to arm the fighters soured relations between the two NATO allies.