US Embassy in Turkey: US is not supporting ISIL

ANKARA

AFP photo

The United States Embassy in Ankara has denied accusations that the U.S. supported terrorist groups fighting in Syria.

The statement came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he has evidence that U.S.-led coalition forces have given support to terrorist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Syrian Kurdish forces. 

“The United States government is not supporting DAESH. The USG did not create or support DAESH in the past. Assertions the United States government is supporting DAESH are not true,” said the statement, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group.

President Erdoğan told a press conference on Dec. 27 that Turkey in the past was accused of supporting ISIL.
“They [anti-ISIL coalition forces] were accusing us of supporting Daesh,” he said. 

”Now they’ve all vanished and they’re giving support to terrorist groups including Daesh, YPG and the PYD. It’s very clear. We have confirmed evidence, with pictures, photos and videos,” he said.

The embassy statement denied the accusations.

“The United States government has not provided weapons or explosives to the YPG or the PKK – period. We repeatedly have condemned PKK terrorist attacks and the group’s reprehensible violence in Turkey,” it added.
The statement said the U.S. is cooperating with Turkey in the operations against ISIL.

“As we have throughout the campaign against ISIL, we continue to work closely with our counterparts in the Turkish government to determine how we can increase our efforts to defeat ISIL and eliminate this scourge that threatens both our peoples. This includes ongoing discussions about how we can best support Syrian opposition and Turkish forces engaging ISIL around al Bab.

“Like Turkey, the United States also has experienced attacks by ISIL supporters. We mourn the losses that the Turkish Republic has suffered in facing this and other threats from terrorism,” the statement added.