U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu by phone on Saturday. According to a White House statement released on Sunday Biden urged Davutoglu to do his utmost to deescalate tensions in the area.
Biden's call came shortly after Turkish military forces fired artillery at Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militiamen who are on the advance against their Islamist rivals in a part of northwestern Syria Turkey has adamantly insisted they should not be allowed enter.
Vice President Biden sought to assure the Turkish Prime Minister that the U.S. is seeking to dissuade the Syrian Kurds from exploiting the disarray in northern Syria, where the Syrian military and allied militias have launched a major offensive against the opposition in Aleppo with heavy supporting Russian airstrikes.
He also sought to discourage the Turkish government from launching more artillery attacks.
Both leaders agreed on the need to work together to help protect civilians under fire in that part of Syria and defeat Islamic State (ISIS) and bring about a durable ceasefire to end the destructive Syrian conflict.
Biden also said he supports Turkey's current ongoing campaign against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The U.S. State Department also called on Saturday for a cessation to Turkish attacks and called upon Ankara and the YPG to deescalate this tense situation before it gets worse.
Biden's call came shortly after Turkish military forces fired artillery at Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militiamen who are on the advance against their Islamist rivals in a part of northwestern Syria Turkey has adamantly insisted they should not be allowed enter.
Vice President Biden sought to assure the Turkish Prime Minister that the U.S. is seeking to dissuade the Syrian Kurds from exploiting the disarray in northern Syria, where the Syrian military and allied militias have launched a major offensive against the opposition in Aleppo with heavy supporting Russian airstrikes.
He also sought to discourage the Turkish government from launching more artillery attacks.
Both leaders agreed on the need to work together to help protect civilians under fire in that part of Syria and defeat Islamic State (ISIS) and bring about a durable ceasefire to end the destructive Syrian conflict.
Biden also said he supports Turkey's current ongoing campaign against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The U.S. State Department also called on Saturday for a cessation to Turkish attacks and called upon Ankara and the YPG to deescalate this tense situation before it gets worse.
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