US to take back arms from PKK/PYD after Daesh defeat: James Mattis

Weapons delivered to the PKK/PYD will be taken back after Daesh is defeated, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a letter sent to his Turkish counterpart on Thursday.


According to a Turkish translation of the letter supplied to journalists by the National Defense Ministry, Mattis told Fikri Isik the U.S. had taken measures to address Turkey’s concerns.

Ankara views the PKK/PYD, which is the Syrian branch of the PKK, as a terrorist group and fears weapons supplied to the PKK/PYD for the operation to oust Daesh from Syria's Raqqah will end up in the hands of PKK terrorists fighting Turkish security forces.

The PKK/PYD is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) involved in the plan to capture Raqqah and who have been supplied with U.S. arms.

In the letter, Mattis pledged the U.S. would provide a monthly list of weapons and equipment supplied to the PKK/PYD. Such a list was handed over to Turkey earlier this month, he said.

He also described the ties between the U.S. and the SDF, which Washington views as its main ally on the ground in Syria, as a tactical partnership and reiterated comments apparently made previously to Isik about the U.S.’s wish to maintain transparency...
 [aa.com.tr]
22/6/17