Turkey implied that countries helping the PKK terrorist group in Iraq or Syria could face consequences. Ankara will target all locations controlled or captured by the PKK, including energy facilities in Syria, where the group’s US-backed wing operates, Daily Sabah reported.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated on Wednesday that Turkish security forces are authorised to attack anything owned or controlled by the PKK terrorist group in Syria and Iraq.
Everything belonging to the PKK/YPG, from infrastructure to energy facilities, in Syria and Iraq are now legitimate targets of our security forces.
The minister’s statements followed a PKK terrorist attack on Sunday targeting the Turkish police headquarters in the capital. Fidan reported an investigation showed that two of the terrorists involved in the attack were from Syria.
“It is a known fact how clear Türkiye’s stance is in the fight against terrorism. After this latest incident, as a result of the work carried out by our intelligence and security forces, it became clear that the two terrorists came from Syria and were trained here.”
The PKK and its Syrian wing YPG use northern Iraq and northern Syria, at the Turkish border, as hideouts to plan terrorist attacks against Turkey and Turkish forces.
Fidan also warned third parties, without naming them, to stay away from PKK/YPG facilities.
Our armed forces’ response to this terrorist attack will be extremely clear. They will once again regret committing such actions.
For years, Turkey has criticised the United States for cooperating with the PKK/YPG and sending them weapons. The US claims to be co-operating with the YPG/PKK to fight the Daesh terrorist group. Turkish officials responded that using one terrorist group to fight another was pointless.
On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the international community to jointly fight terrorism. He stated that they expected “concrete steps” from friendly countries against terrorism.
“We want to see concrete steps from our friends along with condemnation. It should be known that statements soothing us and condemning terrorism will not be a balm for our wounds.”
We cannot explain to ourselves or to our nation the lack of any action against the terrorist leaders despite folders full of evidence.
The United States provides training and military equipment to the PKK/YPG, which seeks to legally establish itself in northern Syria through an organisation called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
European countries, including Sweden, which is seeking Turkey’s approval for NATO membership, have also been accused by Ankara of harbouring members of the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Turkey claims that wanted terrorists often find refuge in other European countries that grant them political asylum.
“If these terrorists were not neutralised in Ankara and managed to flee abroad, they would be given political asylum and would be protected. It is most likely that some of our friends who condemned this act of terrorism would, unfortunately, reject our request for their extradition.”
Ankara has been hunting terrorist groups since 2016 and is seeking to create a security line 30 kilometres (19 miles) deep, which Russia and the United States pledged support for in October 2019.
In the same month, Turkey launched the Operation Peace Spring against the PKK/YPG and Daesh, another terrorist group.
The US military then evacuated all its bases in the area, but continued to provide the terrorist group with support, namely military training and supplying trucks with equipment under the pretext of jointly fighting Daesh. It also conducts regular patrols with the PKK/YPG.
