Respect Turkey’s security concerns, President Erdoğan tells world

Turkey’s president on Saturday urged the world to respect its security concerns and to support its projects to ensure the return of Syrian refugees.

Speaking at a meeting of officials from a football club in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "If the world does not support our projects to ensure the return of Syrian refugees, we have no choice but to open out border gates with Europe"

Reiterating Turkey’s aims to establish a safe zone to prevent YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorist attacks from Syria, Erdogan said: "We have achieved our goal to a large extent."

Erdogan again stressed the deadline set this week for YPG/PKK terrorists to pull back from northern Syria.

If northern Syria is not cleared of terrorists by the end of the 150 hours allotted, Turkey will clear it single-handedly, said Erdogan.

On Tuesday, Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK terrorists will pull back 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of Turkey’s border with Syria within 150 hours, and security forces from Turkey and Russia will mount joint patrols there.

On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.