PYD terror ties make US leaving Syria harder: Turkey

<p>By Diyar Guldogan</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – As it tries to end its involvement with the terrorist PKK/PYD in Syria, the U.S. is having problems withdrawing its forces, said Turkey’s foreign minister on Wednesday.</p> <p>&quot;We see that the U.S. has some difficulties while withdrawing [from Syria],” Mevlut Cavusoglu told parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. </p> <p>“After being so intertwined and engaged with a terrorist organization, it is not that easy to leave that terrorist organization,&quot; he added, referring to the terrorist PKK/PYD.</p> <p>Ankara has long criticized the U.S. working with the terrorist PKK/PYD to fight Daesh in Syria, saying that using one terror group to fight another makes no sense.</p> <p>In its 30-year terrorist campaign, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives, including women and children. The PKK/PYD is its Syrian branch.</p> <p>Cavusoglu reiterated that Turkey has repeatedly rejected U.S. claims that Washington will not withdraw its troops from northeastern Syria without a guarantee from Ankara that it won’t attack “Kurds.&quot; Turkey's leadership has stressed that equating &quot;Kurds&quot; with the terrorist PKK/PYD is illicit. </p> <p>Cavusoglu added that under the Astana process, Turkey has been coordinating with Russia and Iran on Syria.</p> <p>On the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, Cavusoglu said there have been &quot;no problems faced so far with implementation of the Idlib deal, and Turkey has no wish to face problems going forward.&quot; </p> <p>Turning to the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Cavusoglu said finding a solution to the Yemen issue will be one of Turkey's priorities in 2019.</p> <p>On the Cyprus issue, he said European Parliament elections set for this May have forestalled the start of any Cyprus negotiations.</p>