By Ayhan Simsek
MUNICH
The U.S. support to terrorist PYD/PKK group is "a big mistake" and risking the future of Syria, Turkey's foreign minister said on Sunday.
“Choosing a terrorist organization to defeat Daesh or another terrorist organization is a big mistake,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.
“It is not only about the threat towards Turkey. It is about the future of Syria,” he said.
The terrorist PKK group and its Syrian offshoot PYD had captured large parts of northern Syria, after receiving U.S. military aid.
Cavusoglu underlined that the PKK/PYD was not a genuine representative of the Syrian Kurds. In fact it pressured rival groups in northwestern Syria and forced thousands of Kurds to leave their country.
"And now they are confiscating all the properties of these people. This is outrageous and unacceptable,” he said.
The U.S. administration has called the PYD/PKK a “reliable ally” in its fight against Daesh, despite strong protests by Turkey.
PKK/PYD in collusion with Daesh
He added that recent developments in the region proved that PKK/PYD was not seriously fighting Daesh, but was pursuing its own goal in the region.
“We saw in Raqqa how they cooperated, how they made deals,” he said, referring to a secret deal last year which enabled thousands of Daesh fighters to leave the city, the former stronghold of the terrorist group in Syria, without any fight.
"And now YPG releases all Daesh elements, they stand shoulder to shoulder against Turkish troops,” he said.
Local media reported that the PYD/PKK released around 400 Daesh militants from prisons in Raqqa, Afrin and Deir ez-Zour, on the condition of fighting against Turkey.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove terrorist groups, including the PKK/PYD and Daesh, from northwestern Syria.
Cavusoglu reiterated Ankara’s call on the U.S. administration to stop its support to the PKK/PYD terrorist group, and stressed that it was putting Syria’s future, and its territorial integrity under risk.
The Turkish foreign minister has spoken cautiously about normalization of ties between Ankara and Washington.
"Recently we reached some understanding with the U.S., during the last visit of Rex Tillerson,” he said, referring to the U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to Ankara on Friday.
"I hope this time the U.S. delivers, and the U.S. keeps its promises,” he said.
During the visit, the two sides agreed to form mechanisms that would address issues of disagreement between the two NATO allies.
