Turkey hails US stance on PKK leaders, seeks same in Syria

Turkey’s defense chief has welcomed a US decision authorizing multimillion-dollar rewards for information on the whereabouts of top Kurdish rebel leaders, but urged the US to also adopt a tough stance against Syrian Kurdish militia.

The United States announced Tuesday that it would offer a total of $12 million for information leading to the “identification or location” of three senior leaders of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which both Turkey and the United States have branded a terrorist organization.

US support to a Kurdish militia group in Syria — which Turkey considers an extension of the PKK — has raised tensions between the NATO allies, however.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said: “We expect the same stance, approach and viewpoint against (Syrian Kurdish militia), which is no different than the PKK.”

— AP

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