Turkey expects concrete steps from US on YPG

Ankara expects concrete steps from the US for Turkey's security with regard to the YPG in Syria, a wing of the PKK terrorist organisation, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy told the press on Friday.

Aksoy said that a planned safe zone near the Syria-Turkey border needed to be controlled by Turkey. He added that Ankara wanted it to extend 32-kilometers into Syria's territory, Daily Sabah reported.

The Turkish daily traced the initial involvement of the US in Syria in 2014 which quickly morphed into armed support for the YPG under the pretext of fighting Daesh. It repeated Ankara's objection to the arrangement, given the PKK's terror role against Turkey and the problem of backing one terror group to fight another.

US President Donald Trump last year said he was pulling US troops out of Syria. The US military says a "residual presence" will remain. But some US media say that number could be as many as 1,000 soldiers.

Turkey is working on issue of Iranian oil imports

Turkey is also working to convince Washington to allow refiner Tupras, its biggest oil importer, to continue buying crude oil from Iran free of sanctions, Aksoy said at the press conference.

The Trump administration is attempting to block all oil exports from Iran. It reimposed sanctions last year, but allowed waivers for some importers, including Turkey. However, on Monday, Washington said it will not renew waivers and demanded that buyers stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions.

Iran is one of the biggest oil suppliers for Turkey, which is almost completely reliant on imports to meet its energy needs.

The US decision damages regional cooperation and Turkey's trade relations, Aksoy said.

"Tupras is following the subject closely. The characteristics of their refineries are suitable for Iranian oil."

Turkey calls for a joint working group to assess S-400 impact

Ties between the NATO allies have been strained by Washington's threat to derail a planned sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

The US says it is concerned at Ankara's decision to buy the S-400 missile system from Russia.

Aksoy said Ankara has proposed creating a working group to assess the impact of the S-400 on NATO systems, but the US has not yet responded to that proposal.

Turkey is part of the F-35 construction program and supplies some components of the plane.

Aksoy said it was a mistake to link the S-400 issue to the F-35 program in which Turkey is an active member: "We carry out our payments regularly, our pilots are receiving training there [in the US] and we will not back down from this," Aksoy said.