The Latest Breaking News from YPG

Talks between Turkish officials and delegations from Sweden and Finland have made little headway overcoming Ankara's objections to their NATO membership bids, and it is not clear when further discussions will take place, according to two sources.

The longstanding neutrality of Sweden and Finland was abandoned when both states submitted formal applications to Nato. But they are facing an unexpected obstacle on the way to membership: Turkey. While Turkey supports the alliance’s “open door” policy, Ankara’s veto reflects its aims to change the status quo and make…

Turkey has opposed Sweden and Finland's membership of NATO, accusing them of harbouring individuals linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party militant group (PKK) and followers of a cleric Turkey accuses of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016.

Turkey accused the Kurdish forces in Syria of obstructing the return of Syrian refugees, noting that it had begun working with Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon to secure their “voluntary return.” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that his country will continue its war against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG),…

Turkey views the PKK – and all its affiliates – as security threats, complicating its relationship with Sweden, Finland.

The US remains confident that NATO will accept Sweden and Finland despite Turkey opposing their membership bids over claims they harbour “terrorists”.

Turkey’s foreign minister described Swedish and Finnish support for Kurdish rebels as ‘unacceptable and outrageous’.

"My requests to the Turkish Government have gone unheeded"

Turkey announced on Monday the killing of two senior leaders of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the largest component of the Washington-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Two “terrorist” leaders of the YPG were eliminated in an air raid targeting their location in the al-Hasakah governorate, northeastern Syria, Turkish intelligence…