Turkey and US in new row over terror support

Ankara and Washington have been engaged in a fresh debate over terrorism support, after a top U.S. official claimed there was a link between Turkey and the presence of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Syria's Idlib.

Turkey has strongly condemned remarks by Brett Mc- Gurk, U.S. special envoy for the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), while also recalling the U.S. support to Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it says is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), hence a terrorist group.

"Our reaction to the statements of Brett McGurk, in which he associated Turkey with the presence of terrorist organizations in Idlib was brought to Mr. McGurk's attention at a high-level démarche and his statements, which could be characterized as provocative, were protested," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hüseyin Müftüoğlu said in a written statement on July 30.

"In addition, Mr. McGurk was reminded of both the fact that the root causes enabling terrorist organizations to find foothold in Syria and Iraq could only be eradicated only if the deeds and actions of all relevant actors do not contradict one another, and our expectation that the Syria-based terrorist organization PYD/YPG [Democratic Union Party/People's Protection Units] is not supported for whatever the reason may be," Müftüoğlu said. 

McGurk's statements will also be reiterated to U.S. authorities through the Turkish Embassy in Washington, he noted. 

Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Sedat Önal  conveyed Turkey' unease and asked the U.S. envoy to "correct" his statements if he did not aim any provocation, a Foreign Ministry official told Hürriyet Daily News on condition of anonymity. 

Önal warned the envoy...