Erdogan Expresses Discontent Over U.S. Arming Syrian Kurds

In response to the recent decision by the United States government, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the U.S. decision to arm Syrian Kurdish militants contradicts the relations between the U.S. and Turkey. Erdogan stated on Friday, May 11, that he believes these issues will be resolved during his upcoming meeting in Washington. The Turkish President is set to travel to the U.S. next week to meet with President Donald Trump. Earlier, the Turkish Prime Minister emphasized Ankara's position on the 'terrorist' status of the 'People's Protection Units' (YPG), the main Kurdish militant group in Syria, warning that the U.S.'s 'negative decision' to support this group could have repercussions for the U.S. itself. Meanwhile, Syrian Kurds are at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the country and have recently managed to reclaim areas from this group with the support of the U.S.-led international coalition. The U.S. Department of Defense announced a few days ago that the government intends to provide weapons to Kurdish militants 'as needed' during the ongoing battle against ISIS in Syria. The U.S. and Turkey are long-standing allies with extensive security, military, political, and economic relations. Turkey is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, relations between the two countries have soured since the coup attempt by factions of the Turkish army against Erdogan's government in July of last year. The Turkish government accused a U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gülen, of orchestrating the coup and demanded that the U.S. extradite him. Gülen, however, has accused Erdogan's government of staging a false coup against itself to suppress dissent and critics. Following the coup in Turkey, the government has arrested or dismissed tens of thousands of civil servants, military personnel, judicial officials, and journalists. In his remarks on Friday, Erdogan stated that he would pursue the matter of Gülen's extradition during his upcoming trip to the U.S. to 'bring the issue to a close.'