Mattis in Turkey for talks on Syria, Kurds

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis held talks with Turkish leaders in Ankara yesterday focusing on Washington's arming of a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as a terror group by Turkey, a move which has strained ties between the Nato allies.

Turkey is incensed that Washington has been arming the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the assault on the jihadists' stronghold of Raqa, in northern Syria.

The Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq is planning its own independence referendum in September. But at the date approaches, the plan is fuelling increasing discomfort in the region.