Turk anger at US plan for arming Kurd group

TURKEY yesterday slammed as unacceptable a US plan to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Ankara considers terrorists, but the militia applauded it as a historic move that would hasten the extremists’ defeat.

The issue risks further stoking tensions between Ankara and Washington less than a week before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Washington to meet his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in their first face-to-face encounter as heads of state.

The Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) is seen by Washington as the best ally against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and the prime attacking force in any assault on their stronghold of Raqa.

But Ankara regards it as a terror group and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which since 1984 has waged an insurgency in Turkey leaving tens of thousands dead.

The dispute poisoned ties between Turkey and the US under president Barack Obama, but Ankara had hoped for smoother ties with Trump.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said: “The supply of arms to the YPG is unacceptable.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said “every weapon that turns up in their hands is a threat directed toward Turkey”.

In a surprise announcement, the Pentagon said Trump had authorised the arming of Kurdish fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to ensure a clear victory over ISIS in Raqa.

The YPG hailed the move as historic and said it would now play a more influential, powerful, and decisive role in fighting the IS.

It remains to be seen what shadow the issue will cast over the Trump-Erdogan talks.

Canikli said: “The argument that a ground operation in the fight against Daesh [IS] would be successful only with YPG has nothing to do with reality.”

Both Washington and Brussels classify the PKK as a terror group but do not see the YPG as such.

Turkey has said it is keen to join the battle to recapture Raqa but on condition the offensive does not include the YPG.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis on Tuesday took part in a summit in Copenhagen for senior leaders from the top 15 countries in the anti-IS coalition, including Turkey.

Mattis, who was in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, yesterday as part of a European tour, gave a positive assessment of the role Turkey would play in the lead-up to the Raqa fight.