Turkish officials have repeatedly claimed that the US' failure to keep track of its arms, which have on numerous occasions wound up in the hands of Kurdish militia and Daesh* terrorists in Iraq and Syria, is the key factor that has contributed to the deterioration of Washington-Ankara relations.
The United States has reportedly been arming the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara believes is linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), considered as a terrorist group by Turkey. While Washington has promised it would recollect the weapons it had allegedly handed over to the YPG, Turkey has cast doubts that it will actually happen.
PKK Militant Group in Possession of Arms Provided to Kurdish Forces by US
Since Ankara launched the operation, codenamed “Olive Branch,” in Syria's Afrin on January 20, the Turkish military have reportedly confiscated US weapons from terrorist groups, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashing out at its NATO ally.
“You did not give us weapons when we asked for them but gave them to terrorists instead. Now, that ammunition is in our possession,” he said on March 20.
Turkish forces have discovered and seized two AT-4 unguided anti-tank weapons from the PKK militants during counter-terrorist operations in southeastern parts of the country, according to an official Twitter account operated by the Turkish Armed Forces.
“It is likely that the weapons…
