Turkish President warns Syrian Kurds
ANKARA (QJ) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that Kurdish fighters in Syria must lay down their arms or “be buried,” amid ongoing clashes between Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and other armed groups since the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Following al-Assad’s overthrow on December 8, Ankara has consistently insisted that the Kurdish YPG militias must disband, stating that the group has no place in Syria’s future.
The leadership change in Syria has significantly impacted the Kurdish groups in the country.
“The separatist killers will either surrender their weapons or be buried in Syrian soil along with their weapons,” Erdogan told members of the ruling AK Party on Wednesday.
“We will eliminate the terrorist organization attempting to build a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish brothers,” he added.
Turkey considers the YPG militia – the largest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition – to be an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish government since 1984.
The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Ankara has repeatedly called on NATO allies, including Washington, to cease their support for the YPG.
Sinem Koseoglu from Al Jazeera, reporting from Istanbul, noted that Erdogan’s statement was not surprising as it reflects the official stance of the Turkish government.
As the YPG is viewed as the “Syrian branch of the PKK,” Ankara believes they must disarm or face defeat, Koseoglu said.
Earlier, Turkey’s defense ministry announced that its armed forces had killed 21 YPG-PKK fighters in northern Syria and Iraq.
SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi acknowledged the presence of PKK fighters in Syria last week for the first time, stating that they helped combat ISIL (also known as ISIS) and would return to their country if a comprehensive ceasefire agreement is reached with Turkey, which is Ankara’s primary demand.
He denied any affiliation with the PKK.
Erdogan also stated that Turkey would soon open a consulate in Aleppo and expects an increase in cross-border movement next summer as some of the millions of Syrian refugees hosted by Turkey begin to return to their homes.