PENTAGON TRIES TO EASE TURKEY’S CONCERNS WITH ARMING KURDS IN SYRIA

Sourced : The Washington Times

By Lolita C. Baldor

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made clear Thursday that America is committed to protecting Turkey after angering its NATO ally with a deal to arm anti-Islamic State fighters in Syria that Turkey considers terrorists.

Mattis stressed the enduring nature of the U.S.- Turkey relationship in a meeting with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the first face-to-face contact between officials from the two countries since the U.S. announcement about military support for the Syrian Kurds.

The defense secretary, speaking to reporters aboard a U.S. military airplane after the meeting in London, characterized the discussions as “honest, transparent and helpful.” Their half-hour conversation took place before an international conference on Somalia, and Mattis said he had no doubt the U.S. and Turkey would “work this out with due consideration and significant attention paid to Turkey’s security, to NATO’s security and the continuing campaign against ISIS.”

Read more at : http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/11/us-defense-chief-affirms-commitment-to-protecting-/

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.