Turkish premier expressed negative attitude on american arming of kurdish fighters
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has spoken out against a U.S. decision to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters, saying it cannot use one terrorist group to try and defeat another.
Washington regards the Syrian Kurdish fighters as key partners in the fight against Islamic State militants, but Turkey considers the group a threat to its security because of its links to outlawed Kurdish rebels.
Speaking to reporters before departing for London on Wednesday, Yildirim said Turkey cannot accept "direct or indirect" support for the Kurdish rebels, known as the PKK.
Yildirim said "there is still an opportunity for the United States to take Turkey's sensitivities into consideration. Otherwise, the outcome won't only affect Turkey, a negative outcome will also emerge for the United States."
The U.S. announced Tuesday that it would arm Syrian Kurdish fighters as a necessary step to recapture the IS stronghold of Raqqa.
Source: Associated Press