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Turkey Summons Top US Diplomat in Ankara Over Situation in Syria - Reports

Turkish authorities haven't yet officially confirmed the information.
Sputnik

According to Reuters, citing sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Ankara has summoned the US charge d'affairs, Philip Kosnett, over the situation in Syria.

The Turkish authorities and Washington haven't yet officially confirmed the information; however, Ankara has repeatedly slammed the US support and arms supplies for the Kurdish militia fighting against terrorists mostly as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) rebels.

In December 2017, the US announced its decision to halt arms supplies to the Kurdish People's Protection Units, as was earlier promised to the Turkish leadership. However, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told Sputnik that Washington was yet to prove it is cutting its arms supplies to Syrian Kurds with documented evidence, as statements from the White House continued to differ on the issue.

READ MORE: Why US' Arming of Syrian Kurds Evokes Strong Memories of Al-Qaeda's Rise

Trump Tells Erdogan He Ordered to Stop Arms Supplies to Syrian Kurds - Ankara
Relations between Washington and Ankara remain strained due to a number of differences, particularly on US military support for the YPG units, which have been fighting the Daesh terrorist group in Syria.

Ankara considers the YPG to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization in Turkey, that has fought a protracted armed struggle against Turkey to achieve independence or autonomy.

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