Turkish opposition calls on US to stop arming PKK/PYD

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader on Tuesday called on the U.S. to stop arming PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria.

Speaking to the parliamentary group, Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: "Every weapon you send to the Middle East will increase the pain; it will cause bloodshed and tears."

"For this reason, we should warn both the U.S. and Russia," he added.

Pointing the U.S. arming of PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria, Kilicdaroglu said: "If you like to drink human blood, here you are, you can send weapons there," he said.

Kilicdaroglu called on Turkey, the U.S., Russia and Iran to play their role to prevent spread of terrorism in the Middle East.

Kilicdaroglu's remarks came after the decision by the U.S-led international coalition against Daesh to establish a 30,000-strong border security force with the SDF, which is largely controlled and manned by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria.

On Saturday, Turkish security forces hit several PKK/PYD targets in Afrin to prevent a "terror corridor" from forming along Turkey's borders. The Afrin operation will follow Turkey's successful seven-month Operation Euphrates Shield, which ended in March 2017.

The coalition had issued a written statement to some media outlets earlier on Sunday, wherein it said that it was working with the SDF to set up and train a Syrian border protection force.

Turkey has long protested the U.S. support for the PKK/PYD, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization, and its military wing PYG, while Washington sees it as a "reliable ally" in its fight against Daesh in Syria.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, the PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years.