Erdogan calls on Trump to stop arm supply to terrorists in Syria

TEHRAN (defapress) – Turkey's President Erdogan and US President Trump held a phne conversation on Wednesday during which Erdogan demanded US to halt supplying the terrorists in Syria with arms.

News ID: 68266

Date: 25 January 2018 - 12:19

The Wednesday telephone conversation between Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump has become a new source of tension between the two countries as the both Turkey and US have different readouts of the conversation.

While Turkish sources are emphasizing that Mr. Erdogan called on President Trump to stop supporting terrorist in Syria with supplying them with arms, the Americans are making claims that M. Trump warned the Turkish president to stop militancy in Syria which would further increase tensions in the region.

The White House's written statement differs from the truth discussed between the Turkish and US presidents' phone conversation on Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency sources.

The sources adds that President Trump did not discuss any concerns “of escalating violence in Afrin” during the phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Trump discussed restricting the operation in Afrin to a certain time limit and avoiding any close combat in Manbij, due to the existence of US soldiers in the region, the sources added.

The Turkish side reiterated that PYD/YPG elements "must retreat to the east side of the Euphrates River as it was promised before."

The sources also stressed that President Trump did not use the words "destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey."

"In an answer to President Erdogan's highlighting request from Washington to stop providing arms to the PYD/YPG terrorists in Syria within the scope of fighting against terrorism, President Trump said the United States are no longer providing PYD/YPG with weapons," the sources added.

They also said that there was no discussion of the ongoing state of emergency in Turkey.

"President Trump requested the release of some currently jailed US citizens and local personnel. In an answer to President Trump's request, President Erdogan said Turkey as a state of law and judiciary will decide on the related issues after the indictments are completed."

On Saturday, Turkey launched a military offence in Syrian lands, under the banner of Operation Olive Branch with self-pro-claimed objective of removing PYD/PKK and ISIL terrorists from Afrin.