Turkey on Wednesday slammed a statement by the European External Action Service on the recent terrorist attack by the YPG/PKK in the city of Afrin in northwestern Syria.
Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director, said on Twitter that the press release by the European Union's diplomatic service shows the bloc still has not adopted the right stance in the fight against terrorism.
Altun said although the name of the terrorist organization was not mentioned in the press release, the perpetrator of the attack was certain.
"Despite all our warnings so far, those who supported and armed the YPG/PKK and tried to give it legitimacy and allowed the terrorist organization to operate in their countries are among those primarily responsible for the massacre in Afrin," he said.
He said those who cannot openly condemn the terrorist attack harm the fight against terrorism.
"A cease-fire call is never made to terrorist organizations. Terrorism is condemned and terrorism is fought," he said.
Altun stressed that Turkey has fought terrorism in all its forms and will continue to do so.
At least 40 civilians were killed, including 11 children, and nearly 50 others severely injured Tuesday when a bomb-rigged fuel tanker exploded in the center of Afrin close to Turkey's border.
Although the European External Action Service regarded the incident as a terrorist attack, it did not mention the name of the terrorist organization that carried it out and did not condemn the attack.
"Such intolerable acts of terrorism can never be justified. Those responsible must be held accountable," the spokesperson of the EU's External Action Service, Peter Stano said in the statement.
The statement also offered condolences to the victims' families and wished quick recovery to the wounded, reiterating the bloc's call for a nationwide cease-fire in Syria.
In January 2018, Turkey launched a major military operation, Operation Olive Branch, to rid Afrin of YPG/PKK terrorist elements and liberated the city and province that March.
Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016 and Operation Peace Spring in 2019 were the other two anti-terror cross-border operations Turkey carried out across its southern border with Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of locals.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.