Turkey warns US defense secretary
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BRUSSELS: (AA) Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik discussed the PKK/PYD terror group with the US Defense Secretary James Mattis late Wednesday, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said.
The first meeting between the pair took place at a NATO summit in Brussels, where Isik warned Mattis about the US support for the PKK/PYD in northern Syria, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
"Anti-terror operations cannot succeed in this way," Isik said, referring to the fight against Daesh. "A terrorist organization cannot be preferred to another one."
While Turkey considers the PKK/PYD to be a terrorist group affiliated to the PKK, which has waged war against Turkey since 1984, the US sees the PKK/PYD as its ground ally against Daesh in Syria.
Isik also met counterparts from Spain, Italy, the UK and France, the official added.
