US calls on Türkiye to focus on fight against IS in Syria
US Defense Secretary James Mattis called on Türkiye to focus on the fight against IS in Syria amid rising tensions between the two countries over Ankara's Operation Olive Branch.
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| US Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) and his Turkish counterpart Nurettin Canikli. (Source: AFP/TTXVN) |
US Defense Secretary James Mattis has urged Türkiye to focus on the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, the Pentagon said on February 15, amid rising tensions between the two NATO allies over Ankara's campaign against Kurdish rebels in Syria.
Mr. Mattis had talks with his Turkish counterpart Nurettin Canikli on the evening of February 14 on the sidelines of the NATO conference taking place in Brussels (Belgium).
The Pentagon's announcement stated that during the talks, Mr. Mattis called on Türkiye to "focus on the campaign to defeat IS, and prevent this terrorist organization from reestablishing itself in Syria."
Mr. Mattis acknowledged that Türkiye's national security faces threats from terrorist organizations, but he emphasized the complex security environment in Syria and "the threat from a resurgent ISIS to all NATO allies."
The two sides “agreed to continue bilateral and multilateral defense activities and consultations, and explore ways to further strengthen defense cooperation in the future.”
The talks took place ahead of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's official visit to Türkiye.
During the two-day visit, Mr. Tillerson will hold talks with his host counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
US-Türkiye relations are in a tense period after Ankara began Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin region to expel Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters.
Türkiye considers the YPG a terrorist organization because of its ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned in the country. However, the YPG is a force backed by the US in the fight against IS./.
