Off the wire
• Somalia releases new dates for elections  • Saudi says supports any agreement to rebalance energy supply, demand  • Interview: Nigeria looks east to address economic woes: expert  • Spotlight: "Hate speech" group in Japan ordered to pay compensation in landmark case  • 1st LD: Syrian army captures old district in Aleppo following major offensive  • 12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum kicks off in Tokyo to boost ties  • Urgent: Syrian army captures old district in Aleppo following major offensive  • Sri Lanka to promote ecotourism  • China cracks down on religious cult  • China Focus: Belt and Road Initiative applauded by international community  
You are here: 　 Home

Turkish FM criticizes U.S. over Syrian Kurds presence in Manbij

Xinhua, September 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday criticized the U.S. of not convincing Syrian Kurdish fighters to move to east of Euphrates River.

About 200 members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) were still at the west of Euphrates River, the Turkish minister told a joint press conference with visiting British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Ankara.

Cavusoglu recalled a commitment by Washington on YPG retreat to the east of the Euphrates River after a joint military operation against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria's Manbij region.

"Either they cannot influence the YPG, or they don't want to send them (to east of the Euphrates)," he said.

Cooperating with the YPG in any potential operation against the IS in Raqqa would mean "putting Syria's future at risk," Cavusoglu added.

The anti-IS coalition member countries lack a "results-oriented strategy," which leads to "mistakes" such as reliance on "terror organizations," Cavusoglu stated.

While the U.S. sees the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and YPG as major strategic partners in the fight against the IS, Turkey regards them as offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The U.S. considers partnership with the YPG fighters for an upcoming military offence against IS militants in Raqqa, while Turkey dismisses to be part of the operation if the Syrian Kurdish fighters take part in the mission. Endit