ANKARA
U.S. officials have said they understand Turkey’s “concerns” about Kurdish groups fighting in northern Syria but claim that the countries’ focus is on Daesh.
U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that American officials had held “constructive” and “wide-ranging” talks with Turkish counterparts this week to discuss mutual efforts in the anti-Daesh international coalition.
Kirby was also responding to questions about Turkey-U.S. differences on Kurdish groups in northern Syria, close to the Turkish border.
Turkey’s National Security Council at the end of June expressed its concern about purported attempts to change the demography in Syria during fighting near the Turkish border.
In recent weeks, Turkish media reports have claimed the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) has been trying to change the demographic structure of northern Syria with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state from Iraq to the Mediterranean Sea.
Kirby said that the U.S. understands “the Turkish concerns with respect to fighters across the border,” but added that the coalition’s focus was on “inside Syria … against ISIL [Daesh]”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking in June, said Ankara would not tolerate the establishment of a new state in northern Syria.
The U.S. is leading an international coalition against Daesh militants. Coalition warplanes have been striking Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria since September 2014, as well as supplying weapons to Kurdish and Iraqi security forces fighting the extremist militants.
Kirby also noted that Turkey has a significant refugee problem.
He said that Turkey was dealing with the issues “ably...considering the heavy demands that these millions of refugees are placing upon [Turkey’s] infrastructure”.
