Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee about relationship between PYD/YPG and PKK.
US Defense Chief Ash Carter admitted on Thursday (2016) that the PYD and YPG are linked to the PKK, an armed Marxist-Leninist group listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, the EU and NATO.

When asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham whether the PYD and its military wing, the YPG, are aligned with the outlawed PKK terror group during testimony before a Senate panel, Carter replied in the affirmative.

Admitting the link between the PKK and PYD, Carter acknowledged that the PKK is designated as a terror group by the US and Turkey, but denied that Ankara is upset by US air and equipment support to its offshoot in Syria.

"We have extensive consultations with the Turks," Carter added.

But Sen. Graham contradicted him saying that he was recently in Turkey and the government there is not happy with US support for the PYD and its armed wing the YPG, both considered by Turkey as part of the same terror group.

The US, on the other hand, does not consider the PYD and the YPG to be terrorist groups.

"They think this is the dumbest idea in the world and I agree with them," Graham said.

Graham noted that Turkey has been asked by the US to do more in the fight against the DAESH terror group, but he does not believe that the argument by Turkish government is "absurd."

"We are arming people inside of Syria who are aligned with a terrorist group, that is the finding of Turkish government," he said.

WHO ARE THEY? PKK, YPG, PYD. Lindsey Graham vs. Ashton Carter

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