Turkish airstrikes were primarily targeting PKK in Syria but not ISIL: USA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said that the United States wants to see Turkey go after "the facilitators, the enablers, and the other tentacles of ISIL that intrude into Turkey."

Turkish airstrikes have been primarily targeting the Kurdish fighters inSyria and not the Islamic State (IS or ISIL or Daesh) terrorists, US Secretary ofDefense Ashton Carter told the House Armed Services Committee, as “Armenpress” reports.

"Most oftheir air operations are not directed atISIL, they are directed atthe PKK [Kurdish Worker's Party], which we understand their concern about…but we would liketo see them do more againstISIL," Carter stated. The Pentagon has been critical ofthe limited Turkish engagement inthe fight againstthe ISIL, especially Ankara’s reluctance tocontrol its border withSyria.

The United States wants tosee Turkey go after "the facilitators, the enablers, the other tentacles ofISIL that intrude intoTurkey," Carter said.

Earlier onTuesday, US President Barack Obama said that despitesome progress made insealing offSyria-Turkey border some gaps still remain.