Turkey will not be spectator on issues concerning its security: Erdoğan

ANKARA – Reuters

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Turkey will not remain as a spectator on issues that threaten its security, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 22, emphasizing Ankara's drive to sweep Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Syrian Kurdish militants from territory near its border.

"They say, 'Don't go to al-Bab.' We are obliged to, we will go there," Erdoğan said in a speech at the opening of an education center in the northwest province of Bursa. "We have to prepare a region cleansed from terror."

Erdoğan also reiterated that if coalition powers would be willing to act jointly, Turkey would do “whatever is necessary in Raqqa” against ISIL.

“But not with PYD or with YPG. With the U.S. and the coalition powers. We will not have terror organizations next to us,” said Erdoğan.

Turkey considers Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing People’s Protection Unit (YPG) are linked to outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).