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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Turkey has called on Kurdish rebels to lay down arms and end violence in Turkey.
Ambassador John Bass also said Thursday that the United States does not provide weapons to a Syrian Kurdish militia group, which is affiliated with Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party — or PKK.
Bass said Washington was sensitive to Turkey's concerns over the Syrian Kurdish militia group and opposed any efforts by the group to change the demography of northern Syria "under the guise" of battling the Islamic State group. It was a reference to Turkish accusations that the Syrian Kurdish group is purging the area of Arabs and Turkmens.
A fragile peace process with the PKK collapsed in July. Hundreds of people have died in the renewed conflict.
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