He reiterated Turkish calls that Washington has to live up to its assurances that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD, fully withdraws to the east of the Euphrates River, and that the pullout immediately takes place.
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“The statements of USA officials about the content and the targets of the Euphrates Shield operation. are unacceptable and are not in line with the alliance between the two countries”, a foreign ministry spokesman said, adding that a complaint had been lodged with the US ambassador to Turkey.
Turkey sees the YPG as an offshoot of the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is waging a bloody insurgency against security forces in Turkey’s southeast.
ISIS conducted a suicide bombing against Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels in a village west of Jarablus, said ISIS news agency Amaq.
On Thursday, the Turkish-backed rebel units were driving from Jarablus toward Manbij, 20 miles to the south. Manbij, which lies near a major east-west highway, is now under the control of antigovernment rebels operating under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Operations by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have significantly contributed to the ongoing efforts of the USA -backed global coalition against the Daesh terror group. The PKK is classified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the USA, but to the dismay of Turkish leaders, Ankara’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies treat the YPG as a separate entity.
Turkey’s armed forces said on Friday they hit three Daesh targets in northern Syria as part of Operation Euphrates Shield.
“Turkish jets were not even allowed in Syria after the downing of the Russian jet in 2015”, Seyrek said.
Turkey-backed rebels and the Turkish army captured the city of Jarablus from ISIS on 24 August without a fight.
U.S. officials had claimed on Tuesday they received assurance that all parties involved were going to stop shooting at each other and focus on the ISIL threat. “Likewise we continue to work with our partners in Syria to try and keep the focus where it should be”, he added.
Erdogan is apparently referring to US officials saying earlier this week that the Kurds have mostly moved to the east of the river, as demanded by Turkey.
“Nobody can expect us to allow a terror corridor on our southern border”, Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference, after the USA criticised Turkey for attacking the YPG, a Syrian group Washington has backed. Washington has supported the group in its battle against ISIS but Ankara sees it as an extension of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdish militant group in Turkey.
The U.S. has provided extensive aid and airstrikes to the YPG-led Syria Democratic Forces, which have proven to be highly effective against IS.
“The main risk is ISIS’ response inside Turkey, like they did in Antep, Suruc, in Ankara”, he said. Turkish officials have said Turkish-backed militia forces in recent days have struck westwards, in militants areas.
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Washington has since called on Turkey to refrain from targeting the Kurds, with the State Department spokesman John Kirby saying this was “not helping us degrade and destroy” IS, while Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the reports of clashes were “a source of deep concern”. As well as driving out the ultra-hardline Islamists, it also wants to prevent Kurdish forces taking territory that will let them join up cantons they control in northeast and northwest Syria.
