ANKARA, (Xinhua) — The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the US ambassador to Ankara over the visit of a senior US commander to a Kurdish-controlled area in northeastern Syria, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. .
Ankara “requested an explanation” about the visit of Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to northeastern Syria on March 4, anonymous Turkish diplomatic sources quoted the agency as saying.
Milley met with US troops stationed there under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and spearheaded by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Tensions between Ankara and Washington have long been simmering over US support for the YPG in northern Syria. Kurdish fighters have cooperated with Washington in operations against Islamic State, but Ankara has long called on the United States to end its association with the YPG.
Ankara views the Kurdish group as the Syrian branch of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
Turkey summons US envoy for high-ranking general’s visit to Kurdish-controlled Syrian area
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