Turkey slams France's SDF/YPG military support bid
|AA Photo


Ankara slammed Friday remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron's promise to support the PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria's Manbij.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned Macron's statements during a meeting with ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) provincial chairpersons in Ankara.

Turkey is very saddened by France's completely wrong approach regarding Syria, Erdoğan said, adding that the remarks of suggesting intermediation between Turkey and the YPG-dominated SDF, if true, were remarks "far beyond one's limit."

"Last week I spoke to Macron himself, and found him saying very bizarre things. As he said those bizarre things, we had to tell him, in a bit of a high frequency. Because it is not up to anyone to put us, our armed forces in a place we can never accept," he said.

"When Turkey is hosting 3.5 million Syrian refugees, how many Syrian refugees have you hosted in France; did you even ask what you can do on your part? But you have clearly shown your stance against terrorism by hosting 7 terrorists in the Elysee," Erdoğan noted.

Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on his official Twitter account that Turkey expects its allies to stand "clearly" against all kinds of terrorism.

"Countries we see as our allies and friends should show a clear stance against terror of all kinds, not take steps that legitimize these terror groups," he said.

"Turkey's stance on the PKK/PYD/YPG is clear; we reject frivolous approaches such as dialogue, contact or mediation with these terror groups," the presidential spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu held a phone call with his French counterpart French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian on Friday.

During a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin later in the day, Çavuşoğlu said that France is constantly trying to be an actor in Syria with different acts, but this time they had gone too far.

"I asked French Foreign Minister Le Drian what they would think if President Erdoğan hosted the leaders of a terror group that attacked France in the Presidential Palace in Ankara," Çavuşoğlu said, noting that PKK terror has led to the deaths of more than 40,000 people in Turkey.

"Erdoğan and Macron have talked about Syria in multiple phone calls, but Macron's actions are constantly contradicting with these phone calls," Çavuşoğlu added, noting that France needs an honest approach first if they wish to cooperate with Turkey in Syria.

Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson Bekir Bozdağ also said Friday that France's support of PKK/PYD/YPG terrorists amounts to "clear cooperation and solidarity with terror groups attacking Turkey."

"Those who enter into cooperation and solidarity with terror groups against Turkey...will, like the terrorists, become Turkey's target," Bozdağ said in a tweet, adding: "We hope France does not take such an irrational step."

A French presidency statement said Thursday that Macron hopes "a dialogue can be established between the SDF and Turkey with help from France and the international community."

Meanwhile, leaders of the terrorist group told Reuters that France promised to send troops to Manbij to support the SDF after Thursday's meeting.

Turkey has vowed to take initiative to drive YPG and SDF forces out of Manbij if the U.S. does not keep its promises to withdraw the terrorist group and stop arming them.