Turkey Sends Trucks Loaded With Armored Vehicles & Artillery to Syrian Border

Ankara has sent ten trucks loaded with armored vehicles and artillery to reinforce its military presence in the country's province of Kilis, located in the immediate vicinity of the Turkey-Syria border, local media reported Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The convoy carried tanks and howitzers, which are expected to back Turkish troops deployed in the southern province bordering Syrian territory held by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Ankara considers YPG to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a designated terrorist group in Turkey, the United States and the European Union. YPG controls Syria's northern region of Afrin, which borders Kilis.

Overnight #Turkey deploys more 155mm artillery guns & M114 armored carriers to posts in border province Kilis across #Syria's Afrin. pic.twitter.com/eoNu9QZZGX

— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) 26 августа 2017 г.

Turkey reinforces military units on Syrian border https://t.co/tVf1fBGSdm pic.twitter.com/BPd8SvmMSC

— Hürriyet Daily News (@HDNER) 26 августа 2017 г.

​​The YPG, among other organizations banned by Ankara, has been receiving support from the United States in fighting the Daesh terror group (outlawed in Russia). The actions of US authorities were opposed by Turkey and led to disagreements between Washington and Ankara.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his disapproval over Washington’s support of the YPG during his talks with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. On Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned that the United States' continued support for the YPG may become a "problem" for bilateral relations.