In the wake of the weekend killing of the Daesh/ISIS terror group leader in a U.S. operation, Turkey’s ruling party Monday said the “same principled attitude” must continue against all terror groups.
“The Daesh/ISIS leader's death is a turning point in the fight against terrorism,” said Omer Celik, a spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party. “We hope the same principled approach will continue against all terrorist groups.”
Celik said when the Daesh ringleader was killed, there was a high-level coordination between Turkey and the U.S., as President Donald Trump said in announcing the operation early Sunday.
“U.S. assets used the airspace of Operation Euphrates Shield,” he said, referring to a Turkish anti-terror operation launched in 2016 in Syria.
“When information from the U.S. operation was given to the Turkish Armed Forces, our forces provided necessary coordination and assistance as an ally.”
“But after this action, YPG [YPG/PKK] terrorists painted themselves as having helped the operation. The dark propaganda mechanism went to work again,” he added.
“The presence of the YPG/PKK terror group in Syria is not weakening Daesh/ISIS, but allowing it to find room to grow,” Celik said.
“The YPG/PKK has no intention of eliminating Daesh terrorists. This terror group only wants to use Daesh as a political blackmail instrument against Western countries.”
Turkey pushed back Daesh/ISIS attacks
“No country has suffered more from Daesh than Turkey,” Celik said, citing many Daesh/ISIS attacks on Turkey, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks.
He added that these attacks killed 315 innocent people -- including the martyring of 11 police officers and two soldiers -- and injured 137 civilians, 62 police officers, and seven soldiers.
He also said that Turkey is determined to clear the region of the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS through military and police operations both at home and abroad.
In two cross-border military operations in Syria since 2016, Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch, Turkey neutralized 3,500 Daesh terrorists, Celik said.
Celik also decried U.S. senators urging the Trump administration to invite YPG/PKK ringleader Ferhat Abdi Sahin, codenamed Mazloum Kobani, to visit Washington.
An Interpol red notice has been issued for Sahin, and Turkey is seeking his extradition, he said.
Celik also urged all countries to stem the harassment of Turkish people by terror groups amid attacks by YPG/PKK supporters in Europe.
He said that in Germany alone, YPG/PKK supporters have attacked Turkish people 17 times.
He added that 15 Turkish people were injured in the attacks.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut
