The U.S. opposes the participation of the PKK terrorist group in an upcoming campaign to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul, the State Department said Thursday.
"We clearly view the PKK as a terrorist organization so we would not be supporting them," as part of the Mosul campaign, agency spokesman Mark Toner said during a press briefing.
According to Toner, the U.S. distinguishes the PKK from its Syrian wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and other Kurdish groups in the region.
Although Turkey and the U.S. have the same position on the PKK, they differ about the PYD.
Ankara considers the PYD an extension of the PKK but the U.S. describes the group as a "reliable partner" on the ground in Syria.
When Toner was asked whether the U.S. would continue to support the Mosul campaign if the Iraqi government wanted to include the PKK among its troops, he declined comment.