The U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis told his Turkish counterpart Fikri Işık at the meeting in Brussels that their support for and cooperation with the PKK's Syrian affiliate the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia was out of necessity and only temporary.
Mattis called arming the YPG "an interim situation triggered by necessity rather than preference," a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said.
Işık raised Turkey's concerns over the U.S.' support to the PYD/YPG in Syria in his meeting with Mattis, and also discussed Mattis' recent letter to Turkey regarding arming the YPG to fight ISIS, as well as the U.S.' pledge to take back the weapons once their joint operation is over, the source added.
The defense ministers also discussed developments in Syria, Iraq as well as the Qatar crisis, and agreed that the crisis must be resolved in the context of the Gulf state's sovereignty, the Daily Sabah reported.
