Ankara slams US over anti-terror fight in N Syria

ANKARA

Türkiye has expressed its criticism against the United States for its objection to the Turkish security forces’ fight against the terrorist groups in Northern Syria.

In a written statement late on Oct. 12, Tanju Bilgiç, the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, slammed the renewal of the 2019-dated U.S. Presidential Executive Order Titled “National Emergency” with respect to Syria.

The executive order has criticized the ongoing Turkish military operations against the YPG, a terrorist organization the U.S. is partnering with, as undermining its struggle to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The order was first issued in 2019 in the aftermath of Türkiye’s cross border operation into northern Syria, dubbed Operation Olive Branch.

“Operation Peace Spring, subject to baseless allegations on this Executive Order being renewed by the U.S. President, was in essence carried out on the basis of the right of self-defense in accordance with the Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and relevant resolutions of the U.N. Security Council in the fight against terrorism and has provided an environment of peace and stability in the region,” said Bilgiç.

“It dealt a blow to the terrorist activities of PKK/YPG and DEASH terrorist organizations, removed them from our borders and contributed to the preservation of territorial integrity of Syria,” suggested the spokesman.

Ankara has long been accusing the U.S. of allying with the YPG at the expense of its allied relationship with Türkiye at NATO.

“In this context, we expect the U.S. to terminate its engagement with the separatist terrorist organization and fulfill the provisions of the Joint Statement dated Oct. 17, 2019,” added Bilgiç.

Ties between the two allies have been strained after a U.S. jet fighter shot down a Turkish drone which was deployed to hit terrorist targets in northern Syria.

Türkiye-US have security problems: Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also raised the issue in an address to the Turkish-African Economic Forum meeting in Istanbul.

Slamming the U.S. statement, Erdoğan stressed “It is Türkiye that considers the acts the U.S. is pursuing with the PKK/YPG in northern Syria as an extraordinary threat to its national security.”

Although Türkiye and the U.S. are allies in NATO, the two countries have security problems, Erdoğan said, vowing they will continue anti-terror operations in the region for the security of Türkiye.