Russia understands Turkey's stance on YPG better than US, Turkish FM says

Russia understands Turkey's stance on the People's Protection Units (YPG) better than the United States, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Aug. 16.

Washington is arming YPG forces fighting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria, alarming their NATO ally Turkey, who regards them as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

In an interview with state-run broadcaster TRT Haber, Çavuşoğlu also said Russia's military chief would visit Turkey to discuss the situation in Syria's Idlib province, where jihadists linked to a former al-Qaeda affiliate have taken control.