Calling SDF 'democratic' is affront to democracy, Turkish envoy tells UN Security Council

NEW YORK

Türkiye's UN envoy slammed statements Tuesday about Turkish airstrikes on the YPG/PKK terror group in northern Syria, saying that calling the name of a terror group "democratic" is an affront to democracy.

Feridun Sinirlioglu was referring to the US’ partner in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF.

"You may change the name of this terrorist organization as many times as you want. But there is no changing its intent," Sinirlioglu told a Security Council meeting on Syria. "You may even make a mockery of global counterterrorism efforts rebranding them as 'democratic.' This is an affront to democracy".

"The statements expressing concern that our counter-terrorism operations against PKK/YPG might adversely affect the fight against Daesh, cannot be more detached from reality," he said.

Sinirlioglu also said the name change of YPG/PKK cannot change the fact that it is a terror organization, which he said has the blood of "Turkish and Syrian civilians on its hands."

He said Türkiye warned against using one terror organization against another.

"We have, on countless occasions, warned against the mistake of sub-contracting the fight against DAESH to another terrorist organization, namely the so-called 'Syrian Democratic Forces', which, in reality, is nothing but the PKK/YPG itself," he said.

In his remarks, Sinirlioglu responded to the UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who cited a statement by the SDF that denied its involvement in the terror attack in Istanbul, saying it was "adding salt to injury."

"Referring to a terrorist organization statement in this council is totally unacceptable, and is an insult to our intelligence," he added.

Pedersen said tension has escalated in northern Syria in recent months and has violence spilled into Turkish territory after strikes by the SDF and Türkiye.

"The Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) has called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation, whether in the air or on the ground. Let me stress that Türkiye, the armed opposition and the SDF should de-escalate now," said Pedersen.

US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, for her part, called for restraint and voiced American concerns about Turkish airstrikes against the terror group.

Recently, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword in northern Iraq and Syria, a cross-border aerial campaign against the terror group PKK/YPG, which has illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan and sometimes execute attacks on Turkish soil.

After the air operation was launched Nov. 20, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled a ground operation in northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terror threat.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the terror group’s Syrian offshoot.

*Servet Gunerigok in Washington contributed to the story