THE United States will continue arming Syrian Kurdish separatists after the defeat of Isis, Defence Secretary James Mattis said yesterday.

His comments to reporters travelling with him to Germany for tomorrow’s summit of Nato defence ministers contradict his Turkish counterpart, who said last week that Mr Mattis had told him the opposite in a letter.

Defence Minister Fikri Isik said the Pentagon chief had promised to take back the heavy arms and vehicles the US had provided to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) once the Isis stronghold of Raqqa is captured.