Syrian Kurds welcome US arms, Turkey objects

"We can not accept the presence of terrorist organisations that would threaten the future of the Turkish state", Canikli said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster A Haber, Reuters reported.

"Such a policy will not benefit anyone, it is wrong to act in favor of terrorist bands", said the official, and in that line informed on the diplomatic initiatives carried on with the new US administration so it desist to carry out an operation against the Islamic State (IS), leaning on the YPG.

The Kurdish-Arab SDF has been the main faction fighting IS on the ground in Syria, but Turkey dismisses it as a front for the YPG.

The Turkish president's remarks on Wednesday came a day after the US announced it would arm Syrian Kurdish fighters as a necessary step to recapture the Islamic State group's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.

Trump on Monday "authorised the Department of Defence to equip Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces as necessary to ensure a clear victory over ISIS in Raqa", Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement.

Turkey's defense minister has described a USA decision to supply arms to Syrian Kurdish fighters as a "crisis" between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies.

Isik says it's out of the question for Turkey to support any operation involving the Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Until Tuesday, official United States policy was to supply weapons only to the Arab components of the SDF.

Last month, Erdogan said if Turkey and the United States joined forces, they could turn Raqa into a "graveyard" for jihadists.

Turkey's deputy Prime Minister denounced the decision as "unacceptable" and said it "amounts to support to a terror organization".

But Ankara regards the YPG as a terror group and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which since 1984 has waged an insurgency inside Turkey leaving tens of thousands dead.

But Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu slammed the move, saying "every weapon that reaches their hands is a threat toward Turkey", and that Turkey's president would raise the issue during a visit to Washington planned for next week.

Hurriyet newspaper quoted Canikli as saying Wednesday: "The United States is providing every kind of aid to the PKK through (Syrian Kurdish forces)".

Washington said Tuesday it would provide weapons and equipment to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which is a key force in the fight against IS in Syria.

She said the decision is likely to be met with "aggression" from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is to visit Washington next week.

"Every single one" of the weapons will be accounted for, and the US will "assure they are pointed at ISIS", Dorrian said, using an alternate acronym for IS.

Turkey on Wednesday slammed as "unacceptable" a U.S. announcement that Washington would supply arms and military equipment to Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria. "This correct decision to arm our units exposes the falsehoods levelled against our forces", Rêdûr Xelîl, the spokesman for the YPG, said in a statement.