Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed to his US counterpart Donald Trump Ankara’s expectation that the United States would end its support for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
Turkey considers the YPG an arm of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is classified by the two countries as a terrorist group.
Sources from the Turkish presidency said Saturday that Erdogan also discussed in a telephone call with Trump Friday the importance of close cooperation between Turkey and the US in the fight against all terrorist organizations.
Erdogan and Trump agreed that joint Turkey-US patrols in Syria’s Manbij area – designed to prevent Turkish aggression against Kurds in the city – are proceeding satisfactorily and discussed the need to complete their road map for Manbij “as soon as possible.”
Turkey and the US launched their third joint patrol in Manbij on Thursday as part of the roadmap signed between the two countries on June 4.
The deal aims at clearing Manbij of all terror organizations and the permanent establishment of safety and stability.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said it is unacceptable for the US to provide arms and ammunition by plane and trucks to the YPG.
"We expect the US to stop cooperation with the YPG terror group as promised,” Akar was quoted as saying at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada.
He stressed that Turkey would never allow a terror corridor along its southern border, in an apparent reference to Kurdish groups, including the YPG, in the region.
Akar also slammed the US military over a photo of US soldiers having dinner with members of the YPG in Syria, Turkish news agencies reported.
"These photos have found wide coverage in our media and disturbed our people. They tarnished the image of the US and its army... for the Turkish public," he stressed.
On Friday, US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey denied that Washington had sent heavy weapons to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF is the United States’ local partner in Syria and it does not consider it a terrorist group, he added.
The YPG serves at the SDF’s military backbone.
He spoke at a panel at the Defense One Summit, which brings top military, foreign policy and intelligence leaders to Washington to discuss US security throughout the world.
Moreover, Jeffrey said US operations in Syria could not be done without the "active participation, coordination, and cooperation of Turkey."
He added that the US is still present in northeastern Syria to defeat ISIS, remove Iranians out of the area and safeguard the political process in the country.
