Turkish-US tension builds as Syria talks founder
US national security adviser John Bolton left Ankara without a deal in hand that would protect Washington's allies from harm after the United States withdraws most of its troops from Syria.
ANKARA — Talks on Syria between the United States and Turkey foundered today, with national security adviser John Bolton flying away empty-handed and Turkish government officials facing the challenge of marching into northeast Syria despite the opposition from Washington, Moscow and the Damascus government.
After the two-hour negotiations between Bolton and Turkish presidential adviser Ibrahim Kalin finished, word leaked that there had been lots of tension and no agreement. The rumor appeared to be confirmed when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his photo opportunity with Bolton and Bolton canceled his press conference and went to the airport.
Not long afterward, Erdogan made his customary Tuesday address to his party’s legislators in parliament. He spoke of the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish militia; the Turkish Kurdish insurgent group known as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK); and the Islamic State (IS), also known by its Arabic acronym, DAESH.
“John Bolton made a serious mistake,” Erdogan said, adding, “For us, there isn’t the slightest difference between the YPG, the PKK and DAESH.”
