Turkish President Recep Erdogan called on the U.S. government to abandon its decision to deliver weapons to the main Syrian Kurdish militia in the battle against Islamic State extremists.
“The decision was a mistake and the United States should reverse it.
“I hope that before I travel to America, some facts that have previously been presented and stated will be abandoned.
“I hope that the mistake will be abandoned,’’ Erdogan told newsmen in Ankara.
The U.S. on Tuesday announced that U.S. President Donald Trump authorised the Department of Defense to provide small arms, machine guns, ammunition, armoured vehicles and other equipment to the Syrian Kurds.
The decision came ahead of Erdogan’s planned trip to the White House coming week, during which, Erdogan said, he would personally address Turkey’s concerns.
The Kurdish YPG militia meanwhile welcomed the U.S. decision to arm its forces in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, saying this would be a significant boost in the war against terrorism.
The YPG militia is a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the coalition partners of the U.S. on the ground in Syria fighting Islamic State extremists.
The SDF, often described as the most effective fighting force in Syria, is in the process of encircling al-Raqqa, the jihadists’ de-facto capital.
The alliance between Washington and the Syrian Kurds started in 2014 at the battle for Kobane, a symbolic city in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, which was besieged by Islamic State.
From there, the YPG has been on the advance against the extremists, taking large swaths of land. (dpa/NAN)
