Islam Times - Turkey Slams US Supply of Weapons to Syrian Kurds

Islam Times - Turkey has slammed the US for its decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria terming the move “an extremely dangerous” mistake that should be reversed.

Speaking in Ankara, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the weapons could be used not only against Turkey, but "all humanity".

The US on Tuesday confirmed it has begun transferring small arms, ammunition and vehicles to Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) militant group.

Cavusoglu added that arming YPG is are extremely dangerous for Syria’s unity and territorial integrity. “If we are looking for stability in Syria, we should row back from those mistakes,” he told a press conference, while speaking alongside his Slovenian counterpart, Karl Erjavec.

The US backs Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), which is dominated by the YPG, claiming the group is able to fight ISIS terrorists in Syria’s Raqqa town currently a stronghold of the Takfiri group.

Ankara is opposed to arming the Syrian Kurds by the US, saying the weapons may end up in the hands of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant movement based in Turkey that has been waging a guerrilla war against the Turkish government since the 1980s.

President Donald Trump's administration has moved ahead with its plan to army Syrian Kurds ignoring concerns by its NATO ally, Turkey.

Earlier this month Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Washington where the Turkish leader expressed concerns that weapons given to the YPG would end up in the hands of the PKK.

Last week, the Pentagon was forced to release a 2016 report from the Inspector General’s office that said the US military had lost track of weapons worth over $1 billion in Iraq. The hardware, part of the Iraq Train and Equip Fund (ITEF), was meant to help Baghdad fight IS.

Announcing the Kurdish arms deliveries this week, the Pentagon said it would take great care to monitor the use of the weapons and investigate any alleged misuse or diversion.