The train-and-equip program for vetted Syrian fighters can begin in May in Turkey, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz said Tuesday.Addressing the media before attending the ruling Justice and Development's (AK Party) weekly meeting in Ankara, Yılmaz said that Turkish delegations were continuing their negotiations with the U.S. over the selection of Syrian fighters for the program.When asked about how Syrian fighters were being selected, Yılmaz said it was being done "jointly" with partner countries. "We think that the train-and-equip program for 'vetted members' of Syrian opposition forces can start in May," he said.He also reiterated that the exact place for training Syrian fighters in Turkey had been decided. On March 2, the defense minister had announced that the program for Syrian fighters would be held in Turkey's central Anatolia province of Kırıkkale.The minister also said that the U.K. might also participate in the program as one of the countries providing trainers. On Feb. 19, Turkey and the U.S. inked a deal to train-and-equip Syrian fighters in an effort to achieve an actual political transformation in the war-torn country on the basis of the Geneva Communique. The fighters are expected to fight both ISIS and the Bashar Assad-led Syrian regime.Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had said in February, "The aim of the program is to ensure a political transition and strengthen the opposition in their fight against threats such as extremism, terrorism and all elements that pose a threat to the opposition, including from the regime [of Bashar Assad]."