Erdogan says to discuss Syria operations with Russia's Putin, U.S. Trump
ANKARA May 2 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would discuss possible operations in Syria's Manbij and Raqqa with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an official visit to Russia on Wednesday, and with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month.
Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate his return to the membership of the ruling AK Party, Erdogan said he hoped his upcoming discussions with Putin and Trump would start a new era in Syria and Iraq.
He also said Turkey would not allow Kurdish militant groups to achieve their goals in northern Syria.
Turkey views the Kurdish militant group YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy. Relations between Turkey and the United States have recently been strained over U.S. support for the YPG in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. (Reporting by Ercan Gurses; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ece Toksabay)