US sends 5,000 trucks carrying weapons to Syria?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 5,000 trucks carrying weapons have been sent by the US to northern Syria to support Washington's allied forces there.
 |
| US forces escorted by YPG fighters drive armored vehicles to the village of Darbasiya in Syria in April 2017. Photo: AFP |
In an interview with the channelNTVOn April 21, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US and its allies of refusing to sell weapons to Türkiye, but still arming Kurdish forces in Syria and threatening Ankara's security.
“We cannot buy weapons from the US with our money, but the US and its allies provide weapons and ammunition to terrorist organizations for free. So where does this threat come from? It is mainly from strategic partners,” President Erdogan said.
According to the Turkish leader, the US continues to send convoys of weapons to Syria. “The US has sent 5,000 trucks of weapons to northern Syria,” Mr. Erdogan said.
The US still considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to be its ally in Syria. The group forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are trained, equipped and protected by the US.
In December 2017, US President Donald Trump approved the provision of $393 million worth of weapons to what Washington called its partners in Syria, including the YPG. A few months later, the US announced plans to create a force of 30,000 Kurdish fighters to deploy along the Turkish border.
The US moves have angered Turkey, which views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria. In Türkiye, the PKK has long been considered a threat to national security.
On January 20, Türkiye launched an operation against the YPG in the Syrian city of Afrin. Turkish forces later took control of Afrin and warned that the military operation would continue along the entire Syrian border.
According toPress TVAbout 2,000 US troops have been deployed in northeastern Syria, in areas controlled by Kurdish fighters. Turkey, the second-largest military force in NATO, is still cooperating with Russia and Iran to ensure a political transition in the Middle Eastern country, while keeping the US out of the negotiating table.
