YPG concerned about capturing land rather than fighting Daesh, FM Çavuşoğlu says


Recent developments in Syria's Raqqa show that the the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG), backed by the United States, is more concerned about capturing territory than fighting Daesh, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in a speech on Thursday.

Turkey has expressed anger that a convoy of Daesh terrorists were allowed to withdraw from Raqqa last month.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by the PKK terrorist group's Syrian offshoot the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing YPG, announced liberation of once Daesh "capital" Raqqa on Oct. 17.

Turkey has repeatedly warned the U.S. not to collaborate with a terrorist group to fight another terrorist group, saying that such cooperation was unbefitting of states

Turkey and the U.S. have been at odds in their policies in Syria. The U.S. support for the SDF have caused the strained relations between the two NATO allies.

Meanwhile, Turkish procurement of defense equipment from the United States is being delayed, according to the text of Çavuşoğlu's speech, and Turkey is developing alternative solutions for this sector.