Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that Turkey will not be offended with the United States (US) over differences on the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
"It is a quite normal for two countries to have different perspectives on some issues. Just because we have different opinions on the PYD we will not argue with the US," Çavuşoğlu said during his speech to 'Voice of America' radio.
Çavuşoğlu also said that he and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the continuity of efforts against the Daesh terrorist organization and the continuity of the cessation of hostilities in Syria.
He expressed Turkey's gratitude to the US for its solidarity with Turkey after the terrorist attacks in Ankara and Istanbul, and for Kerry's efforts in the political understanding process regarding a nuclear deal with Iran.
Kerry is planning an official visit to Turkey, Çavuşoğlu added.
Turkey and the US have been in disagreement over the categorization of PYD and its armed branch, People's Protection Units (YPG).
The PKK, with which Turkey has been in armed clashes since the mid-1980s, is listed as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the US and the European Union.
Turkey also considers the PYD and its armed branch People's Protection Units (YPG), to be terror groups, but the US refuses to designate them as such, as they consider them “reliable partners" in the fight against Daesh.
Turkey has repeatedly said that no distinction among terrorist organizations can be accepted, and urged the US and other Western countries to recognize PYD and YPG as terrorist organizations.
