WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has not seen recent proof that Turkey is shelling Kurds in northern Syria, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told Sputnik.
“We had seen reports, I think a couple of weeks ago, where they were bombing some, shelling across the border. I have not seen any recent evidence of that. We have not seen any recent evidence of that shelling has continued,” Toner stated on Monday.
Toner noted that when the reports of the alleged shelling emerged, the United States urged both sides to avoid an escalation of violence.
“At the time, I think, we called both on Turkey to stop that shelling, which was only escalating what was a very tense situation around Aleppo. But also we made very clear to that section of the YPG that was operating in Aleppo, and really was ceasing holding territory that it needed to stop doing that,” Toner pointed out.
He also characterized the actions of the Kurdish YPG at the time as being counterproductive, serving only to escalate tensions.
Last week, the Russian center for reconciliation in Syria said it received reports from the Syrian General Staff and Kurdish militias of continuing artillery shelling from Turkey despite the ceasefire regime that has been in force since February 27.
Syrian Kurds have also accused Turkey of keeping the border open for militant groups and supplying them with weapons.
Turkey has been shelling towns in northern Syria allegedly because the Syrian Kurds have links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is fighting for Kurdish independence from Turkey and is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara.
