WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — After recapturing the Syrian border town of Jarabulus last week from Daesh control, Turkish troops began shelling US-backed Kurdish forces located south of the town. US officials urged both Turkey and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to focus on fighting the Daesh, not one another.
"Right now we [the United States and Turkey] are working at complete odds against each other, and we are not — the US objective is to focus on the Islamic State [Daesh] and this is not happening," Conley said.
Obama and Erdogan are scheduled to meet on September 4 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Beijing. Conley said she hopes both leaders come out the meeting publicly expressing "a much stronger statement on Syria" and indicating some kind of agreement on a path forward.
The two leaders must also discuss whether the future US-Turkish strategic relationship will depend on the US extradition of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, Conley noted.
Gulen currently lives in the US state of Pennsylvania and is wanted by Turkish officials for allegedly coordinating the July 15 military coup attempt in Turkey.
"That is going to be a profound challenge to our relationship," Conley stated.
US-Turkish relations were strained following the failed coup, which some Turkish officials blamed on the United States.
US officials have denied any role in the coup.
In Syria, Turkey is a formal member of the US-led coalition against the Daesh, but views the US-allied Kurdish YPG forces as a terrorist group.
On Tuesday, US officials confirmed that the latest clashes between Turkish and YPG forces outside of Jarabulus had reached calm.
