Turkish PM Binali Yildirim accuses US of supporting terrorism in Syria

Ankara: Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday accused the United States government led by President Barack Obama of supporting terrorism in Syria.

Yildirim made the comments in front of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group in reference to Washington's backing of Kurdish-Syrian militias fighting against the Islamic State militants in Syria, Efe news agency reported.

He said the Obama administration was supporting terror by trying "to defeat one



terrorist group (the Islamic State) with another one," in reference to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) - considered part of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by Turkey, which it sees as a terrorist organisation.

The US was openly supplying weapons to the YPG and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) to support terrorism in the country, the minister said.

The PM said he hoped the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump would change this policy once sworn-in on January 20.