Erdogan: US Financial Support for People's Protection Units Will Influence Turkey's Decisions

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, stated ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that continued financial assistance from Washington to the People's Protection Units (YPG) will impact Ankara's future actions. A Reuters report citing US officials indicates that Rex Tillerson expects difficult discussions with Erdogan on Thursday and Friday, as the two countries have completely different interests in Syria. Turkey has consistently regarded the YPG in Syria as a terrorist organization and part of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it has been fighting for over 30 years. However, Washington supports the YPG in the fight against the group known as the Islamic State (ISIS), which has angered Ankara. On Tuesday, February 13, Erdogan said in a speech to members of the Justice and Development Party in the parliament, 'The decision of our allied country regarding economic support for the YPG will certainly affect the decisions we will make.' These remarks follow the release of the US Department of Defense's budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year, which mentions funding for training and equipping forces engaged in the fight against ISIS. The Pentagon has requested $300 million for 'training and equipping' Syrian forces and $250 million for security issues around the country's borders, although it is unclear whether part of this funding will be allocated to the YPG. However, Turkish media have interpreted the situation as the Pentagon allocating $550 million to the YPG in the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, Erdogan stated, 'It would be better for them [the US] not to stand by the terrorists they are currently supporting. I tell the people of the United States, this money being spent from the US budget is actually coming from the pockets of the American people.' Turkey has recently conducted military operations in the Afrin region of Syria, which is controlled by the Kurds.