26 February 2017•Update: 26 February 2017
By Ali Kemal Akan
MANISA, Turkey
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus on Saturday welcomed working the Donald Trump administration to address terrorism-related issues Ankara has long pursued in its ties with Washington.
Kurtulmuş said Ankara was "hopeful" thanks to "positive signs" from the new administration with regard to the extradition of Fetullah Gulen, the leader of FETO terror group, to Turkey.
"We see that our efforts are bearing fruit, or at least the indifference that existed during the (Barack) Obama administration is now behind us,” Kurtulmus said in a televised interview.
"We welcome this. I hope we will achieve a good outcome," he said.
FETO, led by U.S.-based Gulen, has been accused of orchestrating the defeated coup of July 2016 that left at least 248 people martyred, and around 2,200 others wounded.
Regarding Ankara's concerns over the U.S. government's cooperation with PYD-YPG terrorist organization in fight against Daesh, Kurtulmus said the U.S. needs to "make a choice.
"Is America going to cooperate with a 3,000-5,000-strong terror group, or a politically and economically stable Turkey with an 80 million population?" Kurtulmus asked.
"They need to make a choice. And according to our observations, they agree with us more and more."
Washington's recent Syria policy has relied heavily on support from terrorist YPG, the armed wing of PYD. That has vexed Ankara, which designates both groups Syria branches of the PKK terror group.
Turkey and the U.S. designate the PKK a terrorist organization, but Washington has resisted doing so with the PYD-YPG.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization also by the EU -- resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 and since has been responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,100 security personnel and civilians, including women and children.
