Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan told U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington on May 16 that Ankara would act "without asking anyone" if it faced any sort of attack from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militants, pro-government media outlets reported on Thursday.
On May 8, Trump approved a plan to arm Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants despite objections from Turkey.
Erdoğan did not directly criticise the plan at the White House. Later, speaking to reporters at the Turkish embassy, he underlined Turkey's objections about the YPG, which Ankara regards as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group in Turkey.
"We clearly told them this: if there is any sort of attack from the YPG and [its political arm] PYD against Turkey, we will implement the rules of engagement without asking anyone," the pro-government Sabah newspaper citing him as saying.
Erdoğan said that the United States had made its decision on the subject of the Raqqa operation and that Turkey could not participate, given the YPG involvement. “The U.S. has already made up its mind on Raqqa. And this is what we tell them: We don’t embrace such an attitude under the current circumstances; we absolutely cannot act with you. We think cooperating with a terror group for Raqqa is not healthy,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan said he expected a role for Turkey in Syria.
"I believe they will knock on our door on the subject of Syria," he said.
“Let’s see what will happen. But Turkey will be in the field in the region – both in Iraq and Syria,” Erdoğan said.
