![Andreea Alexandru FILE - A Turkish Air Force pilot gestures from the cockpit of an F-16 military fighter jet before an Air Policing exercise at the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/2ec279078611421b9f06ac5d106e43ab/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - A Turkish Air Force pilot gestures from the cockpit of an F-16 military fighter jet before an Air Policing exercise at the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru, File)
![Virginia Mayo FILE- Turkey's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/62c0ca2a36364c178ee5f8caf518aadb/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE- Turkey's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
![Ceerwan Aziz FILE - A group of armed Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) enter northern Iraq in the Heror area, northeast of Dahuk, 260 miles (430 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Ceerwan Aziz, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/d332ee51d264419b9d914aa28ef3c3e7/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - A group of armed Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) enter northern Iraq in the Heror area, northeast of Dahuk, 260 miles (430 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Ceerwan Aziz, File)
![Francisco Seco FILE - A navy soldier stands next to an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Bayraktar TB3 on board the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu L400, anchored in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, April 20, 2023. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/c156c79f5d0f4afb8151487b34358269/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - A navy soldier stands next to an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Bayraktar TB3 on board the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu L400, anchored in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, April 20, 2023. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
![Virginia Mayo FILE - United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, speaks with Turkey's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, right, during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 16, 2023. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/35c55844210c49e88cfd88485b272c97/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, speaks with Turkey's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, right, during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 16, 2023. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
![Uncredited FILE- Military officials work around a Russian transport aircraft, carrying parts of the S-400 air defense systems, after it landed at Murted military airport outside Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (Turkish Defence Ministry via AP, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/20ad22257d464e26a0452f63c67f5380/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE- Military officials work around a Russian transport aircraft, carrying parts of the S-400 air defense systems, after it landed at Murted military airport outside Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (Turkish Defence Ministry via AP, File)
![Khalil Hamra FILE - A Turkish F16 fighting jet flies over naval ships during an annual NATO naval exercise on Turkey's western coast on the Mediterranean, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/f2a8528ac3eb415b844f253223af2de7/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - A Turkish F16 fighting jet flies over naval ships during an annual NATO naval exercise on Turkey's western coast on the Mediterranean, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. Turkey's defense minister says plans by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to hold local elections in northern Syria are “unacceptable" and a threat to Turkey's national security. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)