ISTANBUL (AP) – The President of Turkey told reporters that Ankara remains committed to eradicating Syrian Kurdish militias from northern Syria.
“As I always say, one night we will face them suddenly. And we should, “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on his plane after Saturday’s visit to Azerbaijan, according to the daily Hurriyet and other media.
Without giving a specific timetable, Erdogan said Turkey would launch a cross-border operation against Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Squads or the YPG, which it considers a terrorist group linked to an illegal Kurdish group that has led a 1984 uprising against Turkey. The Kurdish Workers’ Party, the PKK, has killed tens of thousands.
However, the YPG forms the backbone of US-led forces in the fight against Islamic State. US support for the group has angered Ankara and remains a major problem in their relationship.
Turkey considers the PKK and the YPG to be one and the same. The YPG and its affiliated political party controlled much of northeastern Syria after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces withdrew in 2012.
“All coalition forces leading the United States have provided these terrorist groups with a significant amount of weapons, vehicles, tools, ammunition, and they continue to do so. The United States has given them thousands of trucks, “Erdogan said.
He warned that Turkey would not need anyone’s permission to fight terrorism.
“If the United States does not fulfill its obligations in the fight against terrorism, what will we do?” We will take care of ourselves, “he said.
While acknowledging Turkey’s security concerns, US State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed concern about Turkey’s plans, saying a new offensive could undermine regional stability and put US forces at risk.
Ankara has launched four cross-border operations in Syria since 2016, controlling some areas in the north to repel the YPG and create a 30-kilometer (19-mile) safe zone where Erdogan hopes to “voluntarily” return Syrian refugees.
In 2019, the invasion of northeastern Syria against the YPG sparked widespread international condemnation, prompting Finland, Sweden and others to restrict arms sales to Turkey. Turkey is now blocking a historic bid by the two Scandinavian countries to join NATO over a ban on weapons and their alleged support for Kurdish groups.
Turkey has stepped up military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, where they are based. The PKK is considered a terrorist group from Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
“Just as we are conducting operations in northern Iraq against the PKK and the PKK’s descendants, the same situation applies even more to Syria and is much more important,” Erdogan said.
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