Tillerson: US Never Gave Heavy Arms to Kurd-Led Militia YPG

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday accused the United States of increasing military support for the YPG operating in Syria. The official added that the YPG should not rely on external support.

Meanwhile, the United States has never provided the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) with weapons, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a joint press conference with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday.

"We have never given heavy arms to the YPG, so there’s none to take back," Tillerson said.

The relations between Turkey and the United States are currently in a crisis because of the support provided by the US side to the YPG, which is considered by Ankara as a terrorist group.

Washington explains its backing of the Kurds by the need to fight against the Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in the United States and Russia among other states.

Ankara considers the YPG to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Tensions between Ankara and the PKK escalated in July 2015 when the ceasefire collapsed because of a series of terror attacks allegedly committed by the militants.