Turkey Hopes U.S. 'Keeps Promise' about Syrian Kurds
Turkey expects the United States to keep a promise that Syrian Kurdish militia will return east of the Euphrates River after their advance in northern Syria to push out Islamic State jihadists, the foreign minister said on Monday.
Arab and Kurdish fighters, backed by the United States, on Friday took control of the strategic town of Manbij along the Turkish border after IS jihadists retreated.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-Kurdish militia, is dominated by the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) seen by Ankara as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged a bloody campaign against the Turkish state since 1984.
"The United States and even (President Barack) Obama himself has promised us that those from the PYD within the (Syrian) Democratic Forces will cross back to the east of the Euphrates after the Manbij operation is over," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
"The United States needs to keep its promise. This is what we expect," he added. Washington has not confirmed it ever made such a pledge.
Manbij was a key point on the jihadists' supply line from Turkey when it was under IS control before the offensive.
Turkey is frustrated with Washington's support of Kurdish fighters in Syria as key partners in the fight against IS jihadists and accuses its U.S. allies of turning a blind eye to the alleged links between the PKK and PYD.
In May, AFP pictures revealed US commandos sporting patches of the PYD's militia the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), prompting a furious reaction by Ankara.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/214846 |