US provoked Turkey to stage ongoing Afrin operation by arming YPG: Russia

MOSCOW

The United States forced Turkey to stage a military operation in Syria’s northwestern district of Afrin by supplying advanced weaponry to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), according to a Russian official.

“The Kurds have been given a boost with advanced weaponry. The delivery of modern weapons and encouragement of separatist sentiments among the Kurds provoked Turkey into carrying out the military operation in Syria’s northern Afrin region,” Alexander Venediktov, an aide to Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, told Ria Novosti on Feb. 28.

The U.S. has set up around 20 military bases in Syria on territory controlled by the YPG, he said.

Ankara has repeatedly called on Washington to stop arming groups linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” on Jan. 20 to clear Afrin of the YPG, which Ankara sees as a terror group for its links to the PKK.