Russia, Turkey: US supporting Syria 'terrorist' groups

Turkey and Russia have separately accused the US of backing what they call "terrorist groups" in Syria, on the same day they agreed to push for talks in Kazakhstan next month over the conflict.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that he had evidence that US-led coalition forces give support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and Kurdish groups, namely the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
"They were accusing us of supporting Daesh," he told a press conference in Ankara, using the Arabic abbreviation for ISIL.
"Now they give support to terrorist groups including Daesh, YPG, PYD. It is very clear. We have confirmed evidence, with pictures, photos and videos," he said, without elaborating further about the evidence in question.
The US state department dismissed Erdogan's claims as "ludicrous". Spokesman Mark Toner said there was no basis for such an accusation.


Separately, Russia said on Tuesday that a US decision to ease restrictions on arming Syrian rebels paves the way for deliveries of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, a move it said would directly threaten Russian forces in the country.
Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, said the policy change - set out in the annual defence policy bill and signed into law by US President Barack Obama on December 23 - would lead to weapons ending up "in the hands of jihadists with whom the sham 'moderate' opposition have long acted jointly.
"Such a decision is a direct threat to the Russian air force, to other Russian military personnel, and to our embassy in Syria, which has come under fire more than once. We therefore view the step as a hostile one," Zakharova said in a statement.
A provision in the National Defense Authorisation Act, Washington's defence policy bill, bars the US Defense Department from spending funds on anti-aircraft missiles for Syrian rebel groups until the secretaries of state and defence submit a report to congressional committees explaining the decision to do so.
The report would have to include which groups would receive the weapons, intelligence analyses on the groups and the kinds and numbers of anti-aircraft missiles to be supplied.