TURKISH Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says the United States has made inconsistent statements about its plans to create a Kurdish-led Syrian border guard
He also called on Washington to stand with Turkey against the emergence of such a force.
Turkey has reacted angrily to the US-led coalition’s stated plans to form a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led force, calling it an “army of terror” and vowing to crush it.
It has also said it will launch a military offensive against the enclave of Afrin and other Syrian Kurdish militia-controlled territories, and has been massing troops and tanks on its border. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that the US owes Turkey an explanation for saying it is supporting the creation of a border security force in Syria.
Tillerson said the “entire situation has been mis-portrayed, mis-described, and some people misspoke. We are not creating a border security force at all.”
He said the US intended to provide training to local elements in areas liberated from Daesh.
Turkish leaders were not satisfied. Yildirim said Turkey had received consecutive “statements that contradict each other within the past three days”.
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