Turkey threatens further strikes on US-allied Syrian Kurds

Ankara, April 30

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday his country may take further action against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria and insisted US support for such groups “must come to an end.”

The US moved troops and armoured vehicles through several Syrian cities and towns on Friday and yesterday in a show of force apparently intended to dissuade Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces from attacking each other.

Kurdish officials described the US troop movement as a “buffer” between them and Turkey.

The US has provided air cover and other support to Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, it is working with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, but also includes Arab fighters.

Video from northern Syria shows the US patrols parked alongside Kurdish units flying the YPG flag.

Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organization and an extension of the Kurdish militants who have been waging a three-decade-long insurgency. It launched airstrikes against the YPG last week, killing 20 fighters and media activists.

“We will be forced to continue (our offensives),” Erdogan said. “We won’t provide a date and time for when we’ll come.

But they will know that the Turkish military can come.” Erdogan said he would discuss the issue at a meeting with US President Donald Trump next month. — AP