Turkey won't allow Syrian Kurdish PYD to west of Euphrates - Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has not allowed and will not allow the Syrian Kurdish PYD, which is fighting Islamic State but has links to the outlawed PKK militant group in Turkey, to cross west of Euphrates river, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan dismissed suggestions that fighters from the Kurdish militia had already crossed the river. "This is all gossip. We haven't allowed it up until now. Even if there are partial movements, we won't allow such a thing," he said. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Nick Tattersall)