Turkey is in talks with Russia to use northern Syrian airspace in a possible cross-border operation against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
Turkey has carried out several operations against the YPG (People’s Protection Units) in northern Syria and has been threatening another for months. Last month it stepped up its preparations after a deadly bomb attack in Istanbul it blamed on the Kurds.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed coalition of Syrian Kurds and Arabs, deny any involvement in the attack.
Speaking to reporters today, Akar said Ankara was in talks with Moscow, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, about its threatened military operation. “We are discussing all issues with Russia, including the opening of the airspace,” he said.
Turkey considers the YPG, the main component of the SDF, to be the Syrian wing of the PKK, which it describes as a terrorist organization.
Source: News Beast
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