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Turkey summons US ambassador over Syrian Kurdish forces spat
Disagreement: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini speak to the media after talks in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Jan
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Disagreement: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini speak to the media after talks in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. Cavusoglu has said the Syrian Kurdish forces' participation in U.N-led peace talks for Syria in Geneva would be "dangerous" and lead to the end of the U.N.-led initiative. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish forces, which the U.S and others have relied on in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as âterrorists, âaccusing them of cooperating with its outlawed Kurdish rebels.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
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span class="inline inline-center">Disagreement: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini speak to the media after talks in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. Cavusoglu has said the Syrian Kurdish forces' participation in U.N-led peace talks for Syria in Geneva would be "dangerous" and lead to the end of the U.N.-led initiative. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish forces, which the U.S and others have relied on in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as 'terrorists, 'accusing them of cooperating with its outlawed Kurdish rebels.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkey has summoned the U.S. ambassador to "convey unease" a day after the U.S. State Department spokesman said that, unlike Turkey, Washington doesn't recognize Syrian Kurdish forces as "terrorists."
The issue has strained ties between the two allies and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even called on Washington to choose between Turkey and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD, as its partner.
A Foreign Ministry official said Ambassador John Bass was called to the ministry on Tuesday where a senior Turkish official expressed Ankara's concerns. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to make public statements.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday: "We don't, as you know, recognize the PYD as a terrorist organization. We recognize that the Turks do." (ags)
