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Erdogan: NATO must take stance against US over border force

January 16, 2018
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Tuesday. — Reuters
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Tuesday. — Reuters

ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling on NATO to take a stand against the United States, a fellow ally, over its plans to form a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led border security force in Syria.

Turkey has threatened to launch a military offensive against Syrian Kurdish militias, which Turkey considers to be terrorists.

On Monday Erdogan accused the United States of creating an "army of terror" in Syria along the border with Turkey, and vowed to crush the border force.

Addressing his ruling party's deputies on Tuesday, Erdogan questioned NATO's stance on the issue, saying: "Hey NATO! You are obliged to make a stance against those who harass and violate the borders of your members."

Erdogan said Turkey's military chief would discuss the issue in Brussels.

Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey's planned military operation against Kurdish militia forces in Syria's Afrin region will be supported by Syrian rebel fighters.

In recent days, Erdogan has repeatedly warned of an imminent incursion in Afrin after the U.S.-led coalition said it was working with the mainly Kurdish YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to set up a new 30,000-strong border force.

The plan has infuriated Turkey, which considers the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group, which has fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by the European Union, Turkey and the United States.

Asked if Syrian rebels would be involved in the operation against Afrin, Erdogan told reporters in parliament: "Of course they will, together. This struggle is being conducted for them. Not for us."

Speaking at a meeting of NATO top brass in Brussels, armed forces chief General Hulusi Akar said Turkey will not allow the YPG to receive support and said NATO should not differentiate between terrorist groups, state-run Anadolu agency reported.

"We cannot and will not allow support and arming of the YPG terror group under the name of an operational partner. We hope this mistake will be corrected in the shortest time," Akar was reported as saying. — Agencies


January 16, 2018
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