Mike Pompeo will visit Turkey to consult with Ankara about PKK, FETÖ terrorist organizations
The director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Mike Pompeo is to visit to Turkey on Thursday. Pompeo is expected to discuss the coupist Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization.
Pompeo's visit to Turkey will be his first visit to a foreign country since being named CIA director.
Pompeo, who was appointed as CIA director following Donald Trump's inauguration, is a key player in the U.S. strategy in the Middle East, particularly in Syria against the Daesh terrorist organization. Therefore, he is expected to discuss Washington's fight against Daesh.
The anti-Daesh strategy of the U.S. is significant for Turkey as Ankara has been expressing its frustrations regarding the U.S. support of the PKK/PYD terrorists against Daesh .
PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S and EU. And since Turkey recognizes the PYD as an affiliate of PKK, Turkey says Washington shouldn't cooperate with a terrorist organization.
The visit will also provide a signal of the U.S. strategy towards Iran and Russia under Donald Trump's presidency. In January, Pompeo stated publicly that Russia had undermined America's democracy by using cyber attacks to influence the presidential election.
"With respect to this report in particular, it's pretty clear about what took place here, about Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy," he said.
Pompeo has also expressed his objections to the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Russia, adding the agreement may be suspended soon.
