ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — After France hoped “dialogue” could be established between Turkey and the SDF in northern Syria, Ankara rejected such options with Kurdish groups it labels as terrorists.
"We reject any efforts to promote 'dialogue', 'contact' or 'mediation' between Turkey and those terrorist organizations," Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson for the Turkish presidency, tweeted on Friday.
He added that Turkey’s position on the PKK/PYD/YPG is perfectly clear. Countries which Turkey sees as friends and allies must take a clear stance against all forms of terrorism, Kalin said — different names and disguises cannot hide their identity.
"We reject any efforts to promote 'dialogue', 'contact' or 'mediation' between Turkey and those terrorist organizations," Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson for the Turkish presidency, tweeted on Friday.
He added that Turkey’s position on the PKK/PYD/YPG is perfectly clear. Countries which Turkey sees as friends and allies must take a clear stance against all forms of terrorism, Kalin said — different names and disguises cannot hide their identity.
The Turkish president also weighed in during his weekly Friday speech.
“Who are you to talk about mediation between Turkey and a terror group?" said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish president called hosting the Kurds in Paris as “nothing but a hostile expression against Turkey."
Erdogan claimed that rebranding the YPG or PKK as the SDF won't trick Ankara.
“You are trying to cheat us with these [name changes]. Sorry to say but we know the basis of all of them [terror groups]…We have all the details, including their addresses," he said.
“We know them, even if you change their names every 24 hours.”
On Thursday, a Kurdish delegation visited France and met with President Emmanuel Macron.
The French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Paris — amid Turkish attacks in Syria — had decided to send reinforcements to Manbij and that Macron hopes "a dialogue can be established between the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) and Turkey with help from France and the international community."
France does not foresee “any new military operations in the region outside of international coalition’s activities against ISIS,” an unnamed Elysee source told Le Figaro on Friday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said after Afrin, Turkey will commence an operation in Manbij, where the coalition that includes France, has troops deployed.
The SDF is an umbrella group of Arab, Turkmen, Kurdish, and Assyrian fighters, but dominated by the YPG, who the United States has described as the most effective partnered anti-ISIS ground fighters in Syria.
Turkey considers YPG and PYD to be the Syrian offshoot of PKK, a named terrorist group by Turkey.
The Turkish president called hosting the Kurds in Paris as “nothing but a hostile expression against Turkey."
Erdogan claimed that rebranding the YPG or PKK as the SDF won't trick Ankara.
“You are trying to cheat us with these [name changes]. Sorry to say but we know the basis of all of them [terror groups]…We have all the details, including their addresses," he said.
“We know them, even if you change their names every 24 hours.”
On Thursday, a Kurdish delegation visited France and met with President Emmanuel Macron.
The French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Paris — amid Turkish attacks in Syria — had decided to send reinforcements to Manbij and that Macron hopes "a dialogue can be established between the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) and Turkey with help from France and the international community."
Manbij is west of the Euphrates and controlled by locals including the Kurdish-led YPG whose fighters liberated the city from ISIS with the support of the US-led international anti-ISIS coalition in 2016. Manbij civil and military councils have been established.
France does not foresee “any new military operations in the region outside of international coalition’s activities against ISIS,” an unnamed Elysee source told Le Figaro on Friday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said after Afrin, Turkey will commence an operation in Manbij, where the coalition that includes France, has troops deployed.
The SDF is an umbrella group of Arab, Turkmen, Kurdish, and Assyrian fighters, but dominated by the YPG, who the United States has described as the most effective partnered anti-ISIS ground fighters in Syria.
Turkey considers YPG and PYD to be the Syrian offshoot of PKK, a named terrorist group by Turkey.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment