but the ypg are their allies in the war against isil.nkara, says the international community must rectify that policy. >> translator: the pyd and ypg, linked with the pkk in turkey, we have touched upon. we said there is a strong link between them. we have been saying this and sooner our later our allies w l will -- understand. >> reporter: early on thursday, turkish war planes bombed targets it says belongs to the pkk in iraq. ankara has been shelling forces inside syria as well for weeks. it wants to create a buffer zone along the border. that option appears to be off of the table unless nato and turkey's partners agree to support them. the governments clearly feel it is being let down by the u.s. and nato. this latest attack could provide justification for turkey to send forces across the border, but itself position towards syrian-based kurdish groups, continues to be at a difference of opinion with its allies. >> let's join zana hoda not far from the syrian border. and we're going to take all of the initials out of this and just try

allied to the ypg has called on the kurds to stop taking ground.he group says it doesn't plan to retreat. >> we recently captured the air base and are close to capturing the other area. we want to fight this terrorist group. turkey wants us to return. this won't happen. we are advancing. we won't retreat. >> the advances by the government and the ypg are putting pressure on the opposition. many observers believe the ypg, which is drawn from syrian kurds, is linked to the pkk, the kurdistan worker's party in turkey. syrian opposition fighters know that alliances could be shifting. >> we are being stabbed in the back in the northern countryside where the pkk and it's allies took advantage of the fact we were fighting to two fronts. >> a new front has been opened in an already complicated war. >> turkey's policy in syria has been clear from the beginning. it want regime change in syria and to present a kurdish state from being created along its border. it wants a safe zone along the syrian side of the border to serve as a before to protect the interes

are you with us or with the ypg, because the u.s.s support to the ypg, because it has been a credible and reliable partner for the u.s.-lead coalition until syria. so the u.s. telling turkey, these are our allies we will continue to support them. so the relationship with the united states worsening, the relationship with russia worsening, and turkey is finding itself caught in the whole syrian crisis, and the crisis has spilled over the border. >> and we know that will be featuring very heavily in the thinking of officials there, and many people in the wake of this bombing in the turkish capitol, ankara, now. zana thank you. we are now speaking to our analyst on the phone from ankara. can you give us your initial thoughts on this bombing? if you can hear me, i was just asking you about your reaction to this bombing in the capitol, ankara. i'm not sure if you can hear me. but just wanted to get your thoughts on the circumstances surrounding this attack, who might have been behind this attack. okay. we'll get back to her a little bit l

the advances near the turkish border is not made by the russian government but by the ypg. group that ankara considers opposition and they will consider this provocation. >> we have the latest now from moscow. >> the last few days of intensified fighting in syria i think demonstrate that as we push up to the supposed cessation of hostilities, the regional powers involved here are going to try to push home their objectives and their advances. russia has been very critical of shelling of kurdish positions in the north of syria, calling these aggressive acts, they run counter to the pledges made to the international support group to syria and runs counter to u.n. security council resolution. russia has also said that after the cessation of hostilities comes into affect it will carry on its air campaign because it says it has an obligation to carry on striking what it calls terrorist groups. but of course, what russia calls the terrorist group and what turkey calls the terrorist group differs. they consider the kurdish groups to be terrorist. russia considers them to be the inte

it was taken by the kurdish armed group the ypg and arab allies and the opposition says the ypg has beeng advantage of the damascus advantage for areas in control of aleppo. >> translator: ypg militia from the start of the revolution has been working for its own interests. it created an aton mouse area and never recognized the syrian revolution and used it to create its own state. >> reporter: the capture of the air base means the ypg is now close to the main rebel held border crossing with turkey. this has increased concern in turkey which considers the group and its political wing the pyd a terrorist organization. >> translator: pyd has been the unstoppable winner and will gain aspirations and stretch all the way to the west, it's not logical for us to carry out operations against pyd in syria while i.s.i.l. has a presence and will draw reaction from the u.s. and even russia. >> reporter: ypg and the ally and democratic forces are partners in the u.s. led coalition against aisle and the obama administration made it clear this policy is not going to change. the ypg also enjoys good rela

how significant of presence are the ypg in northern syria? reporter: lauren their presence has become a lot more significant as we heard in paul's report since the emergence of isil there. the important role they are playing is on two fronts. on the one front it is the battle with isil, we saw that in the battle for kobani, just around -- a few months ago -- or more than that, actually, but more significant has been their coordination, as the british foreign minister put it today evidence of that coordination with the syrian government. in fact bashar al-assad's senior advisor, a few days ago, described them as battalion of the syrian army, something which angered some of the kurdish fighters, because they wanted to insist on their independence from the syria regime, but comments like that go in line with the evidence that has been displayed by the turkish government to its allies that the ypsgshgz in cahoots at least on the ground with the syrian government, which really needs more boots on the ground, and that's why it has gone in an allian

they are blaming the ypg, though it denies any involvement in the explosion.ara, says the ypg is an offshoot of the pkk, a separatists group. >>> the investigation continues so far nine people linked to the ankara bombing have been taken into custody, and others have been identified. there will be other arrests in due course. >> reporter: security as become more and more of a concern in turkey in recent months. in october a twin bomb attack killed close to 100 people outside of the main strain station in the capitol ankara. and just a few weeks ago, isil claimed responsibility after a man blew himself up in istanbul. all of these attacks are linked to the war in syria. turkey has been saying that its allies need to support it in its fight against those it calls terrorists, but as far as the u.s. and other western powers are concerned the ypg is its ally in the fight against isil. >> translator: they are linked with the pkk in turkey. we have said repeatedly there is a strong link between them, but this attack obviously will help our allies to understand. we ha

this was a member of the ypg. is the same ypg that is one of the united states allies with the syrian battle field. this attack happened just down the road behind where we are standing. at least 28 people have been killed. at least 61 more wounded. the turkish government identified the attacker as the syrian national who is a member of the ypg, but detained nine other members of a network. turkey is vowing to up the ante when it comes to its own battle against the ypg inside syria. it has been making significant gains thanks to the u.s.-led coalition, but thanks to capitalizing on the battle field chaos in northern syria due to the russian air strikes and syrian regime advances. turkey has the ongoing battle with the separatist group pkk happening within its own bordered and the ypg. if this sounds complicated, it is. now you have the added dimension to it. it is blaming a key u.s. ally causing more tensions and rifts between turkey and nato members. not to mention what it will do to the battle field in turkey and

turkey is targeting positions of the ypg. rnment says it has evidence a suicide car bomber who targeted a bus of soldiers on wednesday was a ypg member, and that he received help from the pkk inside turkey. >> translator: we have critical data on who is responsible for this attack. turkey is facing an attack organized by the pkk and ypg once again. turkey's friends should stand with turkey to fight all terrorist organization. >> reporter: security is increasingly a concern in turkey. the bombing in ankara wasn't the first. and since july the southeast of the country has been a battleground between security forces and pkk affiliates. turkish officials want their western allies to sever their links with the syrian kurdish fighters. >> translator: the u.s. must clarify its stance on terrorism, washington's statements are conflicted on the ypg. it's a sign of weakness to act with a terror organization like the ypg, in the fight against daesh. >> reporter: but on the ground the u.s. continues to provide air cover to the ypg and its

you know the ypg has two or strategic partners, russia and the united states at the moment. so, i think ankara wants to put extra pressure on united states to choose it's each side, to support ypg on the ground or to be with the turkey in the future design of syria. but i also have to emphasize this: pyg might soon have to swallow a pill. i mean pyg has to choose between the united states and russia and which one will be the pyg strategic ally on the ground. i know my local sources inform me that a russian aircraft providing support, close air support to the pyg troops on the ground. so, i think -- >> president /* pyg's decision to go with russia or -- >> that's the decision facing but if we look at military action in that area in northern syria at the moment, particularly around alleppo, it's the russians particularly active. if turkey continues down this route -- and we know that the saudis are preparing to perhaps increase their engagement by sending f 16 fighter jets to the air base, if they continue down that route, do the turks risk perhaps some sort of direct confronta

turkey is facing an attack organized by the pkk and ypg once again. 's friends should stand with turkey against all terrorist organizations. >> reporter: security is increasingly a concern in turkey. the bombing in ankara wasn't the first. and since july the southeast of the country has been a battleground. turkey officials want their western allies to sever their links with the syrian kurdish fighters. >> translator: the u.s. must clarify its stance on terrorism. washington's statements are conflicted on the ypg. it's a sign of weakness to act with a terror organization like the ypg in the fight against daesh. >> reporter: but on the ground the u.s. continues to provide air cover to the ypg and its ally, the syrian democratic forces as they push deeper into isil-held territory. the kurdish fighters are closing in on a main supply route that isil also known as daesh uses to move between its strong holds in syria and neighboring iraq. >> it's not about choosing sides here. there's no doubt about turkey's membership in the coalition. obviously there's no

clearly the mention from the ypg. we have to remember what is happening on the ground at the moment is that the ypg and their allies have one way or another been taking advantage of the government offensive. they have over recent days captured territory from this syrian opposition. opposition that is backed by turkey. what is happening on the ground as we speak is that the ypg is trying to advance towards a main rebel stronghold. also close to the turkish borderer. now in the past turkish artillery shells have landed in syria, but according to turkish officials it was in retaliation, provocation or an at the der rant approaching the boards. but this time around they're making three there is no provocation. this mention is in "s" that this is intended to hit the ypg. growing tensions. the turks do not want the ypg to expand their area. already the kurdish group controls the northeast of syria. they worry that they plan to link their enclave to territories further west. we have to bear in mind that there have been increa

and other western powers say the ypg are its allies in the fight against isil. >> translator: the pyd ypg and linked with the pkk in turkey, we have touched upon. there is a strong link between them. and this attack will obviously help our allies to understand. sooner our later our allies will understand. one day these terrorist organizations and those who support them will be judged. >> reporter: earlier on thursday turkish war planes bombed a targets in iraq. ankara has been shelling ypg forces inside of syria for weeks now as well. so long as syria and its russian allies control the sky, the option appears to be off of the table, unless nato and turkey's partners agree to support them. with wednesday's attack comes increased anger from turkey towards its allies. it feels it is being let down by the u.s. and nato. it's positioned towards syrian-based kurdish groups continuing to be at odds with that of its allies and that difference of opinion looks likely to remain a problem. >>> the united nations has announced it will make its first air drops of food in syria. the world food prog

as of late the kurdish are blocking the--turkey has been blocking the ypg. a group that turkey considers opposition. thethere has been cross border artillery bombardments at the same time the turkish military stepping up the pressure on isil. tightening control along it's borders. like i mentioned there is no claim of responsibility, and as of yet the turkish officials are not blaming any group but they are calling this a terrorist operation. what more can you tell us about the events. what developments are you hearing about at the scene. >> as you can see this is the scene right now this is a politically sensitive part of town right in the heart of the capital. you have political institutions. you have military sugars. >> the target was a military target. near the heart of the city. this was clearly designed to accepted a very clear message to the turkish government. >> how are the turkish government respond? >> i believe they will investigate who carried out this attack. >> which is the most perhaps like--where are suspicions likely to fall in terms of the

support of the ypg is deeply problematic. but a former kurdish leader said that the syrian kurds' loyalty to the west is consistent. >> man >> onalitys said coordination between assad forces and the ypg course only when both sides are fighting their common enemy, which is isil. the relationship emphasizes the complex proxy war being fought in syria. >> you have multiple actors and multiple external actors trying to coordinate with partners on the ground effective proxy forces. >> the cessation of hostilities expected this week could scarcely be more fragile. paul brennan, al jazeera. >> it's the final day of campaigning ahead of elections in iran. the first election since the deal over the country's nuclear program. there are two elections. one for parliament and in the parliamentary election. the remain reformest group is led by th by on the other side a speaker whose daughter is married to one of the supreme leaders son. the assembly is seen as more important as they will choose the next leader. >> basically described as a b

. >> reporter: this is the ypg, the fighting force behind what has become the kurdish power in syria,e that is making some people very nervous, and asking questions about which side of the war these fighters are really on. the u.s. has called the group the most committed force fighting isil in syria. the u.s. has provided it with weapons and military hardware, allowing it to form a larger force. but the group's motives and sources of support are raising suspicions. >> what we have seen over the last weeks is very disturbing evidence of coordination between syrian kurdish forces, the syrian regime, and the russian air force, which are making us distinctly uneasy about the kurd's role in all of this. >> reporter: the kurd's aleeances are at question. while kurds were part of the initial uprising against assad in recent years, they have been focused on protecting their own territory in the north. clashes with the syrian army are rare. >> syrian representative at the u.n. has already said they have connections with the ypg. so there is a clear connection. >> reporter: there is no governme

many believe the ypg drawn from syrian kurds is linked tonight pkk in turkey. rian opposition fighters know that alliances could be shifting. >> we are being stabbed in the back in the northern countryside where the pkk and its ally. they took add vant amy that we were fighting on two fronts against the regime and isil. >> a new front in a complicated war. turkey's policy has been clear: it wants regime change and wants to prevented a kurdish state from being created along its border. it wants a safe zone along the syrian side of the border to 7 as a buffer to protect its interests. but so far, the international community has not accepted that demand. turkey's latest actions serve as a message that it will stand by its red line did. >> for the government, one of those lines subpoena azez, a rebel controlled town a few kilohm materials from the border. turkish officials have protected to protect it, home to tens of thousands of displaced sirrians. for now, apart from shelling yfg positions, ankara has few option because russia controls the skies. al jazeera, sout

officials are blaming the ypg. though it denies any involvement in the explosion.nkara, says the ypg in syria is an offshoot of the pkk, a separatists group that has been fighting the turkish government for decades. >> translator: the investigation into the attack continues so far nine people linked to the bombing have been taken into custody, and others have been identified. there will be other arrests in due course. that's all the information i can give in detail right now. >> reporter: security has become more and more of a certain in turkey in recent month bs. in october a twin bomb attack killed close to a hundred people in the capitol. and just a few weeks ago, isil claimed responsibility after a man blew himself up at an historic site popular with tourists in istanbul. all of these attacks are linked to the war in sir yoo. turkey has been saying that its allies need to support it in its fight against those it calls terrori terrorists. but as far as the u.s. and other western powers are concerned, the ypg is its ally in the fight against isil. >> translator:

over the past few days the ypg and their allies, they have been in one way or another taken advantage of the ongoing offensive of aleppo territory. we can only speculate was this a warning from the turkish authorities who do not want to see the nwg expand control. they already control east of the country and the syrian areas along turkish border. half of turkey's border with syria. is this a mention at the time we can't speculate the artillery shelling inside syria. >> afghan refugees crossing through europe have told al jazeera that they're having to seek asylum in italy because it is too hard to do so in germany. berlin so far has accepted the most refugees, but it is tightening it's border controls. that's forcing many to take a new route into northern italy from slovenia. we have reports on the italy-slovenia border. >> northern italy has been entirely by passed by the refugee who is were heading south to north, or right to left on this picture past the mountains in slovenia. >> they have limited treatments while they wait to see what the authorities make of them. not perfect but

it was taken by the ypg and it's allies. syria said that they have been taking advantage of the government's offensive to expand its areas under its control in aleppo. >> ypg militia from the start of the revolution has been working for its own interests. it created an autonomous area, and it never recognized the revolution but used it to create it's own state. >> reporter: the capture means that the ypg is now close to the border crossing with being turkey. it's a concern to turkey, which considers it's group and it's political wing a terrorist organization. >> reporter: pyd has been the unstoppable winner. it will gather it's territorial aspirations and stretch all the way to the west. it's not logical for turkey to get there while isil has a presence. this will draw a reaction from the u.s. and even rush actually >> reporter: the ypg and it's ally are partners in the syrian-led coalition since isil. they are accepting them as allies, but the obama administration has made it clear that this policy is not going to change. an

the speed with which the government has blamed the ypg for this attack and their subsequent demiles is that going to raise questions about political motivations behind turkey's initial reaction? the u.s. state department and the u.s. has just said that everything is remaining to be seen. who has committed this act of terrorism. but money the less, turkey is insisting that they have a solid drowned that was perpetrated by the ypg, but the ypg, was rejected outside, so therefore it is the contends it is the contest over the truth who holds the -- who offs an accurate. what does the government do next? do they use that as a pretext in northern syria, or do they prefer their allies to do that? >> they have been quite on this to go with plate toe and europe, but nonetheless, the numbers are at odds. so the subpoenas is on it's own, or to continue basically to continue being critical of the ally at the same time. what is more likely to continue is the challenging offer of the y.p.g. on the other side of syria. but from turkey's soil. so does that mean turkey might also intervene turkey might

the ypg and its allies rejected turkey's ultimatum, instead they are advancing. they have taken the rebel stronghold of ta tal raffat, may say they have been able to take ground because of support from russian air power. air power is not only being used in aleppo in the rebel controlled province of idlib in the west, another hospital has been destroyed causing more casualties. the facility was supported by doctors without borders and provided services to more than 40,000 people. the organization called it a deliberate attack but didn't blame anyone but activists. say russian planes were responsible. just last week one of its facilities was hit in the southern province of dara. >> since the beginning of the year, at least five facilities have been targeted in syria and many others. the need for health facilities are desperate and the population relies on these structures to get health care, and therefore we obviously denounce when health structures are target they had way. >> reporter: back in azaz fear is growing among the tens of thousands of syrians. dozens of f

the ypg has been supported by the u.s. in the push against isil.l brennan reports. >> reporter: syria's complex civil war has become even more complicated by the presence of isil, both in syria and iraq, leaving combatants and their international backers fighting on multiple fronts. the british foreign secretary has been briefing the parliament. there was praise for the extraordinary resellence of kurdish peshmerga fighters in iraq, but syria is different. >> what we have seen is very disturbing evidence of coordination between syrian kurdish forces, the syrian regime, and the russian air force, which are making us distintly uneasy about the kurds role in all of this. >> reporter: for syrian kurds, read the ypg, the military wing of the pkk, which turkey and britain regard as a terrorist group. the united states military support for the ypg is therefore deeply problematic. but a former kurdish leader says the syrian's kurdess loyalty to the west is consistent. >> they are for years fights not just isil but also against al-nusra, because they besieg

turkey considered the ypg an off shoot of the pkk. a complicated alliances on the ground because at the end of the day ypg is an ally to the united states, and turkey has made it clear to the obama administration that it is not happy about this alliance, but the u.s. saying that their position will not change. >> russia has been among the most skeptical voices fasting doubt on whether a focus in the fighting can happen. dominic kane has more from munich. >> only a short while after the agreement on syria was reached in this city, the u.s. secretary of state was back in munich for a security conference. although some politicians had hailed the liberations as a step forward. others have expressioned extreme skepticism. in his address to the conference john kerry addressed that skepticism by there'sing how critical it is to by making the cessation of hostilities work. >> this will still require a political solution at some point in in order to make peace no matter what happens. this is the moment. this is a hinge point. decisions made in

the united states military support for the ypg is therefore deeply problematic. but a former kurdish leader said that the syrian kurds' loyalty to the west is consistent. >> they're fighting not just against isis, but al nusra because they besieged kobane and many other kurdish places. >> one analyst said cooperation between assad's borders and the y pg occurs own when both sides are fighting their common enemy, which is isil. they emphasize that the complex proxy war being fought in syria. >> we have those creating the effective proxy forces but underlines the fact that you have very different objectives that they're trying to achieve in syria. >> the cessation of hostilities expected this week could scarcely be more fragile. paul brennan, al jazeera. >> let's go to iran wednesday is the final day of campaigning ahead of elections in the country. on friday there are two elections. one is for parliament. the other for the assembly of experts. in the parliamentary election, the main r reformist group. the election of the assembly of experts is seen by many as more

as we speak, we know that the ypg has been trying to advance towards two main strongholds, so clearlyarning, telling them not to advance any further or maybe supporting the opposition groups on the ground who are y trying to repel their ad vance. earlier today, turkey will not hesitate to take any action against the action that it has been taking in the mountains in northern iraq where air straikz have been target -- strikes have been targeting pkk. turkey conditions them an offshoot of the pkk. a complicated web of alliances, at the ends of the day, the ypg is an ally of the united states andtie made it clear to the administration it is not happy with this alliance that the u.s. saying its position will not change. >> there has been plenty of talk about ending the conflict in syria at the security conference attended by world leaders, russia has been among the most skeptical voices over whether a pause in the fighting can actually happen. dominic cane is in munich. >> only al short while after the agreement on syria was reached in this city, the u.s. secretary of state was back in mu

expand and on the border and to the ypg today they already promised selling their positions and the minister saying we will not allow aziz to fall and really what happened this morning, the attack in aziz was a message there is no red line but turkey saying it won't allow it to fall and they are saying really promising a harsh response and russia answering turkey back saying we are not happy with what we are concerned about is turkey's aggressive behavior and the relationship between turkey and syria deteriorating and the fight and battle for the northern corridor continues but i can tell you the ypg and kurdish militia is on the advance and a few kilometers from azis. >> dana with the very latest from southern turkey on the border with syria and as soon as the turkish prime minister takes to that podium there, that is kiev the ukrainian capitol we will take you to him to hear what he has to say, if he has anything more to say about syria but in the meantime russia new lines coming out of hose -- moscow and our correspondent rory is there and a lot of defying sounding statements com

the ypg is one of the main kurdish fighting forces enside syria.america considers to be its strongest ally inside syria and it has received significant u.s. support in the forms of air strikes at times that have allowed the ypg to make gains against isis in some areas. but also take over territory that was controlled by arab rebels that turkey supports. turkey views the ypg's presence along its border with syria as being a direct threat to its own national security, wolf, so turkey does not differentiate between the ypg and pkk. the u.s. considers pkk to be a terrorist entity but not the ypg. >> turkey of course is a nato ally and all of this is straining turkey/u.s. relations right now. can only imagine the response over these terror attacks. arwa damon, live for us from ankara, turkey. >>> that's it for me. i'll be back at 5:00 p.m. in "the situation room." for international viewers "amanpour" is next. for north america, "newsroom" with poppy harlow and erin burnett starts right now. >>> all right, top of the hour. i'm poppy harlow. this is cnn s

is involved, with the ypg, and it does not accept the turkish dissention o designn restraining the ypg from moving west from kobani into the 98 kilometers that is not controlled by the kurds. on the other hand, the russian he encouraging the kurds to run east into that corridor where overt 60,000 refugees have been gathered. the only beneficiary of that this kind of confusion is bashar al-assad sitting in damascus. hiss force he have made a lot of headway in the recent weeks, the aleppo turkey connection has been cut by the heavy russian bombing over the last couple of months.the opposition is circled in aleppo and the turkish focus is not so much helping the opposition, but in conflict not with assad's forces but with ypg the kurdish group. >> u.s. jeth hav jets have strut i.s.i.l. fighters, among them was gunmen involved in the tunisian attack. >> near the libyan town close to the tunisian border. >> translator: we woke up at night to the sound of explosion and we could not see anything. it was around 3:30 and we heard about five explosions. >> reporter: dozens of people were wounded

and other western powers are concerned, the ypg are their allies in the war against isil.ow ankara says the international community must rectify that policy. >> translator: the pyd and ypg, and kinked with the pkk in turkey, we have touched upon. we have said repeatedly there is a strong link between them. if evidence of those links and one day those terrorist organizations and those who support them will be judged. >> reporter: earlier on thursday, turkish war planes bombed targets in northern iraq. they have been shelling inside syria for weeks now as well. it wants to send in ground troops to create a buffer zone across the border with syria. but so long as syria and its russian allies control the sky, that option appears to be off of the table, unless nato and turkey's partners agree to support them. with wednesday's attack comes increased anger from turkey towards its allies, it feels it is being let down by the u.s. and nato this. this could provide justification for turkey to send forces across the border, but its position towards the syrian based kurdish groups con

they're conflicted on the ypg. it's a sign of weakness to act with a terror organization. >> but on the ground the u.s. continues to provide air cover to the ypg and it's ally, the syrian democratic forces, as they push deeper into isil-heldter cor territory: the fighters are closing in on the group known as daesh in areas they use for strongholds in syrian neighboring iraq. >> it is not about choosing sides here. there is no doubt about turkey's membership in the coalition. and there is also no doubt that some of the strongest fighters against dash have been kurdish fighters. >> but the syrian kurdish fighters and their allies have not been taking territory from isil. in recent weeks they have also been taking ground from opposition groups backed by turkey. for turkey that is a red line. ankara wants to prevent further ypg attacks ankara considers it a threat to its national security, it also wants western allies to stand by them in this fight. for now turkey's options are to continue the cross-record helling and p

turkey blames the ypg and the pyd for the attack, but they have denied involvement. the kurdistan freedom hawks, a relatively unknown offshoot of the pkk, has claimed responsibility. ,he turkish government from ypg links to the pkk, and bombing against both groups continues despite calls for to stop. been the most deceptive partner from the islamic state group leader it as coalitions fighting the jihadists. the continued support has angered turkey, and the country has said it is expecting cooperation from nato allies to combat the white pg -- the ypg. >> washington has expressed concern about the turn of events in uganda. kizza besigye western -- was arrested today for the third time in a week. the vote is still under way following the country's election spirit you as a gritty of state john kerry is reportedly to have called the ugandan president, president museveni, to express concern. the president took office in 1986 and was accused of failing to tackle corruption. early results suggest he will be handed a victory. it has been announced that the author harper lee

official and the ypg. >> reporter: undoubtedly a significant meeting and like you mentioned the timingportant. we understand the high ranking delegation from the coalition that is fighting i.s.i.l. is in the northeast of syria, in areas under kurdish control including obama special envoy as well as french and british officials now like you mentioned the ypg they wanted to be in geneva and believe they have a right to be on that table but turkey an ally of the united states exerted pressure for the ypg to be excluded from talks because turkey says they are terrorists but they are working with them and the only partners on the ground so many believe the visit of the delegation is show support for the kurds and give assurances you are still partners but at the same time it's a message to russia because russia is pushing for pyd to take part in the talks and russia and the united states are really vying for influence over the kurdish groups which is a very strong force and really some of even described them as king makers in the conflict. >> zaina thank you for that update and speaking to

, received directions from the outlawed ypg from inside turkey. head on a number of front lines against the opposition, not just in aleppo but in the province of latakea. pitting pressure on the opposition taking ground from them in the northern country side of aleppo. so many different positions and no sign that there is going to be a pause in the fighting at least in the near future. >> that is our zeina khodr reporting from inside turkey. >>> talks will not resume in late february as was hoped. >> mark kimmitt is in turkey and joins us from istanbul. general kimmitt thank you for your time. let's start with turkey since you're there. turkey's leaders say they have evidence that the kurds were behind the bombing in ankara, the same kurds that the u.s. is supporting in syria. is the u.s. supporting a group that is conducting attacks on the soil of a nato ally? >> well, there is still some concern about the lack of evidence to specifically blame the ypg. but the fact remains. there's a fundamental disagreement between the united states who sees the

now the ypg and the government officially are not allies. we do not know if there are any official across, but they still have not turned their guns against each other. and they have not turned their guns against each other really over the past few years. now the government is trying to reach the border but it's also trying to encircle the city of aleppo, and those in the east are preparing for such an eventuallity. >> there is a fuel shortage in syria so the people living in the opposition controlled east are preparing for the possibility of a senior. already supply lines have been disrupted by the government offensive. fuel is needed, and the city that relies on pumping wells for water. >> there has been a rise in the rise of basic goods because roads are cut and most of the supplies are now coming in from the western countryside. our supplies, we don't have enough supplies. what we have is only enough for a few days. >> it is not known how many of the 3,000 people in the east have left. but there are those who are too poor to pay for a ri

actually put us in the same basket as the ypg and called on ypg to stop making advances and turkey top cross border shelling and the situation is complicated, that border town is now a front line really because turkey and the opposition is accusing russia of providing air cover to the ypg and opposition increasingly being squeezed in aleppo providence. >> zaina live and here in the studio is diplomatic editor james base and it wasn't that long ago, five days ago or so we had the cautious optimism being expressed by the world powers associated with syria that there could be a pause in hostilities, a cessation within the space of a week, was that merely what you are thinking? >> it's looking it's going to be difficult to achieve what they said they would achieve in seven days and peace talks in geneva collapsed and they had to try to reboot the process and went to the meeting about five days ago in munich and there they came up with to new commitments and yes we will get humanitarian aid in and have a cessation of hostilities and they set up a timeline and the timeline for humanitarian

and it is clear that the ypg and their allies are bent on further advances towards the border.y say they will not stop. they want the border town of azaz. and we heard the turkish government say they will not allow azaz to fall. it's a red line. and for the opposition if they lose this, they lose the northern corridor. syrian government war planes in the skies, dropping leaflets in the remaining territories under control of the rebels telling them to withdraw and to surrender, and those are even falling in aleppo, and they are giving them four hours -- they say you have four hours to withdraw and surrender, you have one road to leave, you might as well leave now. >>> zana hoda with the latest there. thank you. ♪ >>> in the last hour, the united nations security council has been briefed on the humanitarian situation in yemen. let's get more now from our correspondent in new york. so what was said? >> reporter: this was a devastating account by the humanitarian chief of a devastating conflict, beginning with some 35,000 dead and injured casualties, of which 3,000 are thought to b

they say that the ypg is an ally by the united states. it is clear that they're no mood to compromise. at the end of the day the balance on the ground is in their favor, and they feel empowered by the support they're receiving in russia both on the battlefield as well as political support. >> tonight there are new questions about that russian support and about russia's commitment to ending the syrian conflict. today the u.s. told moscow it is time, quote, to put up or shut up about a proposed truss set to begin on friday. jamie macen dire has more. >> it will possibly lay the groundwork for a more enduring cease-fire. but for now the war rages on. >> this shows the advance on aleppo. once a stronghold and syria's largest city before five years of fighting drove much of the population away. over head a russian jet appears to drop cluster bombs, unguided munition condemned by the u.s. for urban combat because it can spread widespread indiscriminate casualties. the u.s. also accuses russia of bombing a doctors' without border hospital in nor

the ypg is an extension of the pkk.eir claim does not make the ypg non-existence. >> news from afghanistan. authorities are saying full electric power should be restored to kabul in the next five days. power cables bringing electricity from uzbekistan were brought down by heavy fighting between the government and the taliban. it left the city with two hours of power a day, but the army says it secured the region and the pylons are being repaired. >>> more to come for you. protests by india's for agricultural community turned deadly. we will have that story bringing you all of the latest as political ten tions are returning high ahead of sunday's e legs. >>> welcome back. let's remind you of our top stories now. uganda's president has won the presidential election, extending his 30-year rule, but eu observers have criticized the poll marched by -- marred by allegations of vote rigging. >> hillary clinton is neck and neck with bernie sanders at the nevada caucus. voting is underway in south carolina where danielsed trump

that is the kurdish group, the ypg. the ypg control an enclave, and when they offered the offensive in aleppo, the opposition facing these two forces on the ground. one of the objectives of the military operation is to reach the border. but what the government is trying to do is encircle the eastern half of aleppo city and lay siege to rebel-held territory. there is a fuel shortage in syria, so the people living in the opposition controlled east of aleppo city have begun. they are preparing for the possibility of a siege. already supply lines have been disrupted by the government offensive. fuel is needed in a city without electricity and the city that relies on pumping wells for water. >> there has been a rise in the price of basic goods. most of the supplies are now coming in from the western countryside. but our supplies are low. we don't have enough supplies. what we have is only enough for a few days. >> it is not known how many of the 3,000 people in the east have left, but there are those who are too poor to pay

the group known as the ypg says that is not the case. the u.k. prime minister says he is battling for britain that could determine the nation's membership of the european union. the economy is center stage at the political debate as the country getting ready for a new president. despite the rich reserve of natural resources. al jazeera in the capitol the accounts is his main income source. if he is lucky today he will sell enough to feed his family. o. to return frustrated. >> the second priority with pesticides and fertilizers. >> more than 80% of the population depends uneases sis tense. the political instability have severely effected people's livelihoods. >> it is the fourth largest producer in the world. and this has joined the clutch of oil rich nations with rereceivers estimated a lot more than 1 billion barrels. but the opposition says all these riches are being wasted from incompetence. >> we were on the right path to fix this country's problems but the unfortunate military coup of 2010 brought that effort to an end. the current policies

it has been targeting positions inside syria to prevent the advance of the ypg and its allies, takingdvantage of a russian-backed syrian offensive against the group. they are advancing and now are now at the doorsteping of the two remaining opposition strong holds in the northern corridor. and many in the opposition say those advances with the support of russian air power. >> reporter: air power is not only being used in aleppo and the rebel-controlled province of idlib in the west. another hospital has been destroyed, causing more casualties. the facility was supported by doctors without boarders. the organization called it a deliberate attack, but it didn't blame anyone, but activists say russian planes were responsible. just last week one of its facilities was hit in the southern province of daraa. >> we have seen a lot of -- for example, since the beginning of the year five targets in syria and many others. so the need for health facilities are desperate. and the population are -- relies on this for health care. >> reporter: for syrians monday's attacks were a message from russia

it's a sign of weakness to act with a terror organization like the ypg in a fight against daesh. but on the ground the u.s. continues to provide air cover to the ypg and it's allies as they push deeper into isil-held territory. in syria's eastern province the fetterers closing in on a main supply route that isil also known as daesh uses to move between its strongholds in syria and neighboring iraq. >> it's not about choosing sides here. there is no doubt about turkey's membership in the coalition. there is no doubt about our commitment to the fellow nato ally and there is also no doubt that some of the strongest fig fighters against daesh inside syria have been kurdish fighters. >> but the kurdish fighters and their allies have not only been taking territory from isil. in recent weeks they have been taking ground from opposition groups backed by turkey. for turkey that is a red line and ankara wants to prevent further ypg advances particularly in aleppo's northern corridor close to its border. ankara considers that a threat to its national security and it has made clear that it wi

the ypg and its allies have rejected turkey's ultimatum to retreat. stead they are advancing, and are at the doorsteps of the two remaining strong holds in the corridor. many in the opposition say they have been able to make advances with the support of russian air power. air power is not only being used in aleppo and the rebel-controlled province of idlib in the west. another hospital has been destroyed. the facility was supported by doctors without borders and provided services to more than 40,000 people. the organization called it a deliberate attack, but it didn't blame anyone but activists say russian planes were responsible. just last week, one of its facilities was hit in the southern province of dar -- d a dar -- dara. >> we have seen facilities that are desperate. and the population rely on these structures to get health care. >> reporter: back in azaz fear is growing among the tens of thousands of syrians. today monday's attacks were a message from russia and itself allies. dozens of families have already left towards the turkish border. azaz

and what we also understand is that the ypg and their allies are determined to push further north to town of azaz. it has long served as a transition hub, a rebel, supply group, so the opposition coming under a lot of pressure from the ypg and itself allies, the government as well. syrian government war planes are dropping leaflets in aleppo, selling them to surrender, to withdraw. even inside the city, the city is divided. the opposition controls the east. they are giving them four hours, they say you have four hours to surrender and withdrawal, you have one route open, use it as leave. >> i'm going to be talking to james bayes in a moment. but as a precursor to that, can you tell me about the syrian government's position as far as talks go. there is this idea of syrian-lead talks, where does that place the government? >> well, the government has repeatedly said this, we believe in syria-lead talks, the syrian people will decide the future of their country, dismissing, really, the international efforts to forge peace. the u.n.-lead talks, they are dismissing the opposition. they have

a member of the ypg. ally when it comes to their efforts in the fight against isis. it is also an entity that turkey has long considered to be a terrorist organization directly linked to the separatist group the pkk that turkey has been battling within its own soil. now the ypg itself as well as the political branch have come out and said they are not responsible for this and they believe that turkey is just looking for an excuse to try to invade syria and take over kurdish lands. turkey has been wanting to see a buffer zone set up in syria and launching artillery strikes to prevent the ypg advances. this is one battle field and they do not differ between those those are fighting in turkey and syria. even if the ones in syria is a key american ally. you can consider the ramifications of all this. >> all of this against the back drop of the cessation of hostilities. arwa damon, thank you. >>> let's get an early start on your money. the terrible losses in stocks this year cut in half in three days. dow futu

chaos in syria provides an atmosphere for terror organizations like daesh, al-nusra, the pyd, and the ypggrow and spread. turkey is the country suffering the most from the threats, and being effected from the attacks routed in syria. >> reporter: now there is a chance that a deal reached between the u.s. and russia will bring some kind of ceasefire by saturday. that idea excludes isil and al-nusra front and all rebel groups that do not commit to a cessation of hostilities. the syrian opposition wants international guarantees that the government in damascus and russia will not target rebel groups under the pretext of operations against isil and al-nusra. while the government says it will accept the partial troops, it has warned rebel groups not to attempt to strengthen their positions during the pause in fighting. >>> libyan security sources have confirmed the arrival of international forces. in the last few days they have stepped up attacks on isil and rebel groups in benghazi. >>> saudi arabia is urging its nationals to leave lebanon immediately, and to avoid traveling there in the near