Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Turkey Opposes U.S. And Russia Backing Of Kurdish Militias In Syria



Reuters: Turkey warns U.S., Russia against backing Kurdish militia in Syria

Turkey has warned the United States and Russia it will not tolerate Kurdish territorial gains by Kurdish militia close to its frontiers in north-western Syria, two senior officials said.

"This is clear cut for us and there is no joking about it," one official said of the possibility of Syrian Kurdish militia crossing the Euphrates to extend control along Turkish borders from Iraq's Kurdistan region towards the Mediterranean coast.

Turkey fears advances by Kurdish YPG militia, backed by its PYD political wing, on the Syrian side of its 900 km (560-mile) border will fuel separatist ambitions among Kurds in its own southeastern territories. But Washington has supported YPG fighters as an effective force in combating Islamic State.

WNU Editor: Turkey is not really engaged in the war against the Islamic State, while these Kurdish militias are and they are advancing (see above video) .... and that is the crux of the problem. Turkey can threaten all that they want .... but as long as they are not involved (or unwilling) to wage war against ISIS, I expect their protests to fall on deaf ears.

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