DOHA: Qatar has thrown its weight behind Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish militia in Syria, coming to the defence of the “national security” of one of its closest allies. “The state of Qatar reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to maintain its national security in the wake of the breaches and terrorist attacks carried out inside Turkish territories,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Lolwa Al-Khater said. Turkey views the YPG as a terror group and an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has long fought for autonomy. Turkey’s offensive is complicated by the United States’ relationship with the YPG, which it relied on to help oust Islamic State jihadists from their Syrian strongholds. “The developments around Afrin reaffirm the need to rebuild and restore the concept of Arab national security,” Gargash tweeted.

Source: Pakistan Today January 23, 2018 10:52 UTC