Erdogan: US should choose between Turkey, Kurdish forces

They (the United States) remain silent when we repeat (the PYD is a “terrorist” group) and they say “we do not consider them like that” behind our backs, “railed the strong man of the Turkey”.

The PKK – also considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union – resumed its 30-year armed attack against the Turkish security forces in late July 2015.

“Am I your regional partner or are the terrorists in Kobani?” he asked.

He criticized Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama’s special representative to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (IS), for visiting Kobani, Syria, after Turkey refused to go along with having the PYD participate in the Geneva III talks.

Turkey on Tuesday summoned the US envoy to Ankara in protest after the US State Department said Washington did not recognize the PYD as a terror group and would continue to support its operations in Syria.

Meanwihle, an global campaign against the ISIS group in Syria should include a US-led ground intervention, said the United Arab Emirates’ state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Sunday.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and much of the global community.

“We in turn have been open and forthright and honest about how we need to move forward as a coalition to go after this group [ISIL]”.

Mr. Erdogan told reporters on his presidential plane in remarks published last week that the dispute undermined Turkish confidence in the U.S. “How can we trust [you]?” he said. “It was a move destined to confirm the United States’ position vis-a-vis Syria Kurds, and also a message to Ankara“, he said.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s state-run agency Anadolu Agency said military officials detained a group of 34 people at the border with Syria and seized luggage containing four suicide vests and explosives.

Officials had previously said there are 2.5 million Syrians registered in Turkey.

At a news briefing in The Hague with his Dutch counterpart, Davutoglu said 60,000 migrants had fled the violence to the Turkish border and that, while Turkey would not close its doors, the priority was providing aid to them inside Syria.

The opening of the representation – which Shamoyev said was a “big political step” for Syrian Kurds – came as global powers meet in Munich on Thursday in a bid to revive Syria peace talks.

One of the most important realities of the region is that strong, honest and efficient cooperation between Turkey and Israel would render both nations safer, particularly at a time when the Middle East is passing through its worst days.