Turkey, Trump Team Discuss Syria

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman says Turkey has relayed to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's team its unease over U.S. support to Syrian Kurdish militia, considered as terrorists by Turkey.

Ibrahim Kalin told Turkey's 24 channel on Thursday that he was under the impression that an administration under Trump would "pay more attention to Turkey's sensitivities."

"We have told them — and we continue to tell them — that a strategy against (the Islamic State group) that puts (Syrian Kurdish militia) at its center is not the correct strategy and needs to change," Kalin said.

He also repeated warnings made the previous day that Turkey could bar U.S.-led coalition planes from using its southern base of Incirlik in anti-IS operations.

"We hold the right to close Incirlik," Kalin said.

(KA)