U.S. condemns PKK attacks in Turkey: diplomat on Twitter

ISTANBUL - Reuters

The United States condemns recent attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in Turkey, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Twitter, adding there was "no connection" between Turkey's strikes against the PKK and a deal to intesify the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). 

"There is no connection between these airstrikes against PKK and recent understandings to intensify U.S.-Turkey cooperation against ISIL," Brett McGurk, the deputy special presidential envoy for the coalition to counter ISIL," said on Twitter. 

Meanwhile, the White House said on July 26 that it welcomed Turkey's increased focus and efforts to fight ISIL, and called the PKK a "terrorist" organisation. 

The comments were made at a news briefing in Nairobi by a White House official during a visit to Kenya by U.S. President Barack Obama.