Turkey Not to Take Part in Raqqa Retaking Op Due to Kurds Involvement - Erdogan

Sputnik News

18:46 18.05.2017(updated 20:16 18.05.2017)

Turkey will not participate in the anti-Daesh Raqqa operation amid the YPG involvement in it, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkey will not participate in the operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh (banned in Russia) terrorist group because the United States plans to involve Syrian Kurdish militia YPG in it, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.

"We discussed during the visit to the United States the operation in Raqqa and saw that the US sensitively perceives the operation in Raqqa. We said: if there is YPG there, we will not take part in it, you yourself will conduct the operation. Since your decision on Raqqa is like this, well, good luck," Erdogan said addressing industrialists and entrepreneurs in Istanbul.

On Tuesday, Erdogan met with US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss the Kurdish issue among other topics amid increased tensions over Trump's decision to arm the Syria-based Kurdish militia People's Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers YPG to be affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The United States have been providing support to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which include YPG, with fighting against IS terrorists in Syria. In November 2016, SDF launched the operation Wrath of Euphrates aimed at capturing Raqqa, de facto IS capital.

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