WASHINGTON
The U.S. denied Thursday that a recently brokered agreement with Turkey to allow Washington to use air bases in Turkey is a betrayal of Syrian Kurdish fighters.
"We've been very clear to the Turkish government about these forces," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, emphasizing that his remarks were not referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). "But these forces shouldn't be harassed or fired upon."
He added that the U.S. supports all anti-Daesh fighters in northern Syria, including Syrian Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens. "Once we establish ourselves and are able to conduct airstrikes out of Turkey, frankly, the air support that we'll be able to bring to these groups in their fight against ISIL will be quicker, faster, better."
Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey and the U.S. had "made progress" on the use by American military jets of the strategic Incirlik Air Base.
"The U.S. planes have started to come; we will soon launch the comprehensive fight against Daesh," Cavusoglu told Anadolu Agency.
Last month, Turkey agreed to allow the U.S. military to launch airstrikes against Daesh positions from the air base, which is located close to Turkey’s border with war-torn Syria.
Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union list PKK as a terrorist organization.
