US arming YPG ‘created a nightmare’ for Turkey: Senator

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

By arming the YPG group in Syria, Washington “created a nightmare for Turkey,” said a senior U.S. senator during a visit to the Turkish capital on Jan. 19

Underlining that the YPG/PYD is “clearly” tied to the PKK - listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union - Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters that the U.S. strategy in Syria has the potential to cause harm to Turkey.

The South Carolina senator stressed the importance of protecting Turkey and solving the problem the U.S. “created” for Ankara, referring to U.S. support for the YPG/PYD in the name of fighting ISIL.

Graham, a member of Congress since 1995 and a senator since 2003, serves on the Senate's Armed Services Committee.

Turkey has long objected to the U.S. giving support and weapons to the YPG/PYD, arguing that using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense.

Turkey has said it will soon launch a counter-terrorist operation against the YPG/PYD in Syria, east of the Euphrates River, near the Turkish border.

There has been friction between Ankara and Washington over the upcoming operation amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria.

The YPG/PYD is the PKK's Syrian branch.

Akar-Graham meeting

Turkey's defense minister said on Jan. 18 promises made in Syria's Manbij were not kept and his country would not allow the establishment of a terror corridor on its southern border.

"The promises made in Manbij weren't kept, the YPG and PKK are two sides of the same coin, and Turkey is fighting PKK/YPG, Daesh [ISIL] and FETÖ terror groups," Hulusi Akar stressed during a meeting with Graham in capital Ankara, according to a written statement by the ministry.

Akar also noted that Turkey would not allow the establishment of a terror corridor along its southern border and the two countries would solve the problems by working together.

It added that latest developments in Syria and Turkey-U.S. cooperation were among the topics discussed during the meeting.