US Defense Secretary Esper: I can not label YPG as terrorists

  • actual
  • 11:54 3 December 2019
  • |
img

NEWS CENTER - U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged Turkey on Monday to stop holding up support for a NATO defense plan for the Baltics and Poland, as Ankara presses the alliance to support its fight against YPG in Syria. He said that he would not support labeling the YPG as terrorists to break the impasse.

 
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged Turkey on Monday to stop holding up support for a NATO defense plan for the Baltics and Poland, as Ankara presses the alliance to support its fight against U.S.-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria.
 
In an interview with Reuters ahead of the NATO summit, Esper warned Ankara that “not everybody sees the threats that they see” and added he would not support labeling the YPG as terrorists to break the impasse. 
 
Ankara considers YPG as the Syrian arm of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which is designated as terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU.
 
He called on Ankara to focus on the larger challenges facing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 
 
“The message to Turkey … is we need to move forward on these response plans and it can’t be held up by their own particular concerns,” Esper said as he flew to London. 
 
“Alliance unity, alliance readiness, means that you focus on the bigger issues – the bigger issue being the readiness of the (NATO) alliance. And not everybody’s willing to sign up to their agenda. Not everybody sees the threats that they see.” 
 
NATO envoys need formal approval by all 29 members for the plan to improve the defense of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia against any threat from neighboring Russia.
 
Washington said in July it was removing Turkey from the F-35 program and has warned of possible U.S. sanctions. 
 
Two U.S. senators pressed the Trump administration on Monday to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian missile defense system and said the failure to do so sent a “terrible signal.”

View More Articles

18/08/2020
11:32 Attorneys applied to visit Öcalan
11:29 HDP to form a chain of peace
10:11 Jailed journalists spoke to prisoners about outbreak
09:38 12 people remanded in custody in Hakkari
17/08/2020
14:04 Coalition planes bomb Syrian troops
11:35 Dr. Yaviç: More healthcare professionals may resign
09:15 Life loss from Covid-19 increases to 5 thousand 974 in Turkey
15/08/2020
13:16 Prisoner's requests to be tested for Covid-19 are rejected
13:15 HDP Muş Provincial Co-Chair Yiğit detained
11:37 HDP Co-chair detained: Police pointed gun to child's head
10:49 Healtcare workers: We are at the point of burnout
09:05 Constitutional Court rejects appeal of death fasting lawyers
14/08/2020
14:16 HDP Executive detained
13:41 HDP's Co-Mayor replaced with a trustee, arrested
12:49 Families applied to visit İmralı
12:48 Scores detained in Hakkari
12:48 4 detained in Adana
12:05 Foreign Minister sends letters to EU counterparts ahead of meeting
11:52 Police raids wrong adress, threatening the residents
10:29 Dede: Van Governor acts as AKP Provincial President
13/08/2020
15:04 Attorneys applied to visit Öcalan
14:37 İnce: I am starting the 'Homeland in Thousand Days Movement' on September 4
12:48 CPT's attitude deepening the isolation in Imrali
12:33 162 people's right to life violated, 213 people tortured in July
10:04 Trees cut down for 'National Garden'
09:48 Police fires his gun into the air in Hakkari: 7 people detained
09:31 Coronavirus claims 18 more lives
09:31 Elazığ Prison report: Prisoners subjected to torture
09:30 Women released after İstanbul Convention demo: İstanbul Convention keeps us alive
09:29 Police take 24 women into custody in Ankara
08:55 Arab Parliament calls to UN Security Council to take immediate action against Turkey
12/08/2020
15:13 164 workers, 7 of whom were children, died in working accidents in July
13:37 404 citizens express support for ‘101 Grey-Haired Elders’
13:36 Patient number increases: 1183 people diagnosed with Covid-19
10:55 Call from 33 Bar Presidents: Keeping Ebru and Aytaç alive is a responsibility
10:55 Baghdad reacts to the air strike: Akar's visit cancelled
09:25 Deputy Governor of Hatay murdered his brother and mother
09:13 Mayors of Kızıltepe and Savur remain in prison
08:57 CPT motion from HDP
08:55 Nuriye Gülmen and Rıdvan Akbaş arrested
11/08/2020
16:33 Çerkezoğlu: Lives of workers are more valuable than refrigerators
12:56 5 detained in Malazgirt
11:44 Reason of the violations of rights at the border is 'impunity'
11:04 Attorneys of Öcalan applied for a visit in İmralı
11:03 IHD publishes 6-month rights violation report
10:53 From political parties to CPT: Fulfil your duty
10:37 Loss of life due to Covid-19 rises to 5,858
10:12 Application to Constitutional Court for ‘immediate release’ of death-fasting lawyers
10/08/2020
14:04 AKP supporter attacks HDP building when rejected by AKP
12:09 26 NGO's calls to the government: Implement İstanbul Convention