Turkey informs P5, EU on Ankara bomber’s alleged PYD link

ANKARA

DHA photo

Turkey has informed world leaders, including the United States and Russia, that deadly Ankara car bombing was perpetrated by Syria’s Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) military wing, in an obvious message that they should no longer cooperate and support the Syrian Kurdish group. 

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu held separate meetings with the ambassadors of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the U.S., Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China as well as with envoys of Germany, Netherlands (the current term president of the EU) and the EU Delegation in Ankara.   

Earlier in the day, both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced the attack was conducted by a Syrian national and alleged he was a member of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PYD. Turkey recognizes the PYD as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and therefore has called on allies not to lend support to the group though the group is currently fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with Western support. 

Davutoğlu told reporters that he instructed the Foreign Ministry to provide all necessary information about the Ankara incident, including evidence that supposedly proved the YPG was behind the bombing.

Turkey has long criticized the U.S. and Russia over their political and military support to the PYD. The U.S. has openly said it differs from Turkey on the role of the PYD as its military wing has been conducting an effective fight against ISIL in Syria. 

Russia has further cemented its ties to the PYD in the aftermath of a jet downing by Turkish Air Forces and allowed the group to open an office in Moscow. 

Ankara accuses both Moscow and Washington of supplying weapons to the PYD, claiming that these weapons were later found in the hands of the PKK inside Turkey.