U.S. President Donald Trump has told his Turkish counterpart that the U.S. will no longer supply weapons to Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria, according to a Turkish official’s summation of the call on Friday between the two world leaders.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Trump made the comment Friday after speaking by phone with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to Cavusoglu, Trump said he had given clear instructions that the YPG not be given arms. Cavusoglu also quoted the U.S. president as saying, "This nonsense should have ended a long time ago.”
A White House statement issued Friday evening said Trump informed Erdogan of "pending adjustments to the military support provided to our partners on the ground in Syria.” The statement described the change as "consistent with our previous policy,” and said it reflects the new phase of the battle after the fall of Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State's self-described caliphate.
"The battle of Raqqa is complete and we are progressing into a stabilization phase to ensure that ISIS cannot return," the White House statement said, using an acronym for the militant group.
The statement did not specifically name YPG.
Erdogan and Trump also discussed the purchase of military equipment from the United States by Turkey, according to the White House.
