Al-Assad arming PKK militants, report says

ISTANBUL

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on July 22, 2012, shows Syrian General Ali Abdullah Ayub (R) meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. AFP Photo

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has given orders to provide arms and supplies to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to Tolga Şardan of daily Milliyet.
 
Al-Assad's alleged aid to the PKK was revealed in a special report written by the Turkish Gendarmerie Command and sent to the Turkish Police Department.
 
Syrian intelligence provided both financial and organizational aid to the PKK on the president's orders, the report said, while naming Syrian citizens involved in supporting the organization.
 
Several Syrians were named in the report for financially supporting and abetting the organization, as well as providing logistical support.
 
Gendarmerie officials have determined two arms storages in Syrian cities where the PKK runs its activities under the name "masses." The report stated that while the PKK had no military camp on Syrian territory, several Kurdish politicians in the area were allegedly involved in training PKK militants in weapons use.