ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s deputy prime minister Wednesday criticized Washington’s move to directly arm the PKK/PYD, calling it a “mistake.”
Speaking to news channel A Haber, Nurettin Canikli expressed concern over U.S. President Donald Trump authorizing the Defense Department to equip “Kurdish elements” of U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “We believe and hope the U.S. will stop this mistake,” said Canikli.
Whether the U.S. recognizes the terrorist PKK’s Syrian offshoot the PKK/PYD as a terrorist group or not, this does not change the reality that arming it amounts to supporting terrorists, he said. “This is unacceptable,” he added.
U.S. support for the SDF has been a major strain on relations between Washington and Ankara, as the PKK/PYD forms the backbone of SDF forces.
Turkey considers the PKK/PYD and its armed wing, the PKK/YPG, to be the Syrian offshoots of the PKK, a proscribed terrorist organization in the U.S., Turkey and the EU.
But Washington has resisted similarly designating what it calls the PYD/YPG, using it as a principal partner in the ground war in the fight against Daesh in northern Syria.
Ankara has hoped that Obama-era policy would change under the Trump administration, but the latest move signals it may not.
“We will take the necessary diplomatic steps. We expect this is part of the former administration,” said Canikli.
“Everyone should be aware that this question is of vital importance for Turkey. Especially we cannot accept any presence of terror groups in political engagement that threatens Turkey’s future,” he added.
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Trump had authorized the Defense Department to equip "Kurdish elements" of the U.S.-backed SDF "to ensure a clear victory" over Daesh in Raqqah, Syria.
The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.
Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.