The US has sent the first batch of its heavy armaments to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units or YPG. Speaking to Sputnik Turkiye, former Turkish Ambassador to the US Faruk Logoglu reacted to the delivery, calling it a "diplomatic slap in the face of Turkey."
A source in the Syrian Democratic Forces, which the Kurdish YPG units are part of, told Sputnik Turkiye that the Kurds received the first batch of the US armaments and armored vehicles on Friday.
"After US President Trump approved the supply of weapons to Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State (Daesh) in Syria, we received the US armaments and armored vehicles. We have received many Hummer vehicles, mine throwers, infrared homing missiles, heavy machineguns, armored vehicles and tanks," the source, who preferred not to reveal his name, told Sputnik.
The armament and armed vehicles were sent by land from the Iraqi Kurdistan and then sent to Rojava autonomous region in northern Syria, he said. It was further sent to Kobani, a city in the Aleppo Governorate and the Tell Abyad District within the Raqqa Governorate.
This weaponry, the source said, will be used in the ongoing offensive to liberate Raqqa from Daesh.
Former Turkish Ambassador to the US Faruk Logoglu commented to Sputnik Turkiye on the deliveries.
He said that the fact that such a decision has been made when Hulusi Akar, the 29th Chief of the Turkish General Staff. Hakan Fidan, the Head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization and Presidential Spokesperson Ambassador İbrahim Kalın were on their visit to the US, resembles a "diplomatic slap in the face of Turkey."
"It might be called a diplomatic slap in the face of Turkey. It is clear that the US intentionally set the time for this decision. However the trip itself is a mistake. There was absolutely no need for such high-ranking officials to travel to the US," he told Sputnik.
He said that according to the diplomatic protocol, the preparation of a presidential visit to a country, and President Erdogan is set to visit the US next week, is being organized by the relevant embassies. In this case, by the American embassy in Turkey and Turkish embassy in the US.
"When you travel to a country to demonstrate power, you thus reveal your expectations. However the US made it clear that it will act as it wants. And this is humiliating," he told Sputnik.
