Turkey says could act in Syria unless Washington withdraws support for Kurdish force
Turkey said on Wednesday it would not hesitate to take action in Syria's Afrin district and other areas unless the United States withdrew support for a Kurdish-led force there, as the Pentagon downplayed its plans to train the Syrian fighters.
In recent days, Turkey's President Erdogan has repeatedly warned of an imminent incursion in Afrin after Washington said it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the Kurdish YPG militia, set up a new 30,000-strong border force.
The plan has infuriated Turkey, which considers the Syrian YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group, which has fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by the European Union, Turkey and the United States.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Bekir Bozdag said the planned US-backed force posed a threat to Turkey's national security, territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens.
"We emphasized that such a step was very wrong," he said. "Turkey has reached the limits of its patience, nobody should expect Turkey to show more patience."
