President says U.S. support of the PKK terror group is a crime both nationally and internationally
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed the ongoing U.S. support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization, and said Turkey would pursue national and international methods of justice, speaking at a meeting of his ruling AK Party in parliament.
“This is a crime both nationally and internationally. Steps will be taken in both regards, and officials are conducting the necessary groundwork,” Erdoğan said on Tuesday.
Erdoğan also criticized the U.S. stance on Syria, saying then-President Barack Obama had spoken untruthfully on Syria, adding that current President Donald Trump “is the same way."
Turkey has long objected to U.S. support for the terrorist PYD/PKK -- the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK, which has taken some 4,000 lives in Turkey -- with the U.S. claiming the group is a “reliable ally” in its fight against Daesh.
The United States is working against the interests of Turkey, Iran and maybe Russia in northern Syria, where it is sending in military supplies to an area controlled by terrorists, Erdoğan said.
"If the United States says they are sending 5,000 trucks and 2,000 cargo planes of weapons for the fight against Daesh, we don't believe this," he added.
"It means you have plans regarding Turkey and Iran, and maybe Russia," he said, repeating a call for U.S. troops to withdraw from the Syrian town of Manbij. Erdoğan added that Turkey aims to return Manbij to its true owners.
The U.S has supplied the PYD with more than 5,000 truckloads of weapons to allegedly use in the fight against Daesh, despite Ankara’s warnings that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization.
Turkey will not buy defense systems, software or products from abroad except in an emergency, President Erdoğan also said, vowing to develop domestic military designs and systems.
He said that Turkey was ready to cooperate with foreign defense firms that accepted Ankara's conditions, but that this would not lead to purchases of ready-made systems.
“Operation Olive Branch is continuing successfully as planned,” said Erdoğan.
Operation Olive Branch was initiated on Jan. 20 in Afrin to establish security and stability, eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh, and save locals from the terrorists’ oppression and cruelty.
