Turkey will do what is necessary for national security: FM Çavuşoğlu

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu evaluated Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch launched in Syria’s Afrin, and said that Ankara was in talks with Baghdad about a joint operation against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in the Sinjar region.

“We discussed a joint operation against the PKK in the Sinjar region. We both agree that the PKK is no different than Daesh, and that we should work together to overcome this threat. They also said that they will ensure security along the Syrian border, especially in the Sinjar region, and prevent PKK/YPG crossings,” said Çavuşoğlu as he evaluated his visit to Iraq.

Turkey’s most recent cross-border military operation, dubbed Operation Olive Branch, was initiated on Jan. 20 in Afrin to establish security and stability, eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists, and save locals from their oppression and cruelty.

“The operation was planned for quite some time. We told the Russians that there was a serious threat from here, and that we knew the threat was not from them but that we would enter the area and eliminate the threat,” Çavuşoğlu said.

“We demonstrated our resoluteness when attacks became more frequent. We notified Syria’s consulate general in Istanbul that we were going to conduct such an operation. This was interpreted as the first contact with the Syrian regime, but this is not the case. Previously, during Operation Euphrates Shield, we delivered a similar notification,” he added.

“Syria's Consulate General in Istanbul is not closed, and it represents the Syrian state. For this reason, it was natural for us to inform them. But we were not obtaining permission. Apart from this, we informed NATO. Our expectation from an ally like the U.S. was for it to stand beside us, not terrorist organizations,” Çavuşoğlu said.

The minister stated that if terrorists from Manbij continued to attack Turkish troops and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Turkey would intervene and put a stop to it.

“We are urging the U.S. to not cast a shadow on our path if they aren’t beside us. Terrorists in Manbij are constantly launching attacks. They are attacking the FSA and our troops in the Euphrates Shield region,” Çavuşoğlu said.

“If the U.S. doesn’t stop this, we will. Our aim is not to face off against Russia, the U.S. or the Syrian regime. Our aim is to fight against terrorist organizations. During this process, we will make the necessary warnings and conduct diplomacy to prevent accidents,” he added.

When asked if the Russians wanted Afrin to be left to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Çavuşoğlu said: “The Russians did not stipulate such a condition. What’s important is that it is handed over to the locals. All terrorists need to be eliminated from Afrin. The aim is to reach the center of Afrin as soon as possible.”

The minister also commented on Ankara’s ties with Washington, stating that tension between the two states depends on the actions of the U.S.

“I do not talk on speculations. The future of relations depends on the steps the U.S. will take from now on. Fighting against terror is a vital issue for us, and we must take all the necessary steps. In this matter we are not afraid of anybody, and we are resolute. The position of Afrin and Idlib is different. We see the countries that do not want the processes of Sochi and Astana causing provocations. Both Turkey and Russia have observed this,” Çavuşoğlu said.

“There was concern that if Russia did not work with the YPG, that the U.S. would do so. We told both the U.S. and Russia that this terrorist organization was using them, and it seems that Russia has seen the truth,” Çavuşoğlu said.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Monday called his Turkish counterpart. Gabriel and Çavuşoğlu agreed that the Syrian political process should now be continued in an intensive manner.

Gabriel and Çavuşoğlu met in Germany on Jan. 6, and the Turkish foreign minister had said “We welcome the steps taken by Germany against the PKK.”

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.

The Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing the People’s Protection Units (YPG) are Syrian branches of the PKK.