Turkey warns against supporting PKK and affiliates

ANKARA

Turkey’s National Security Council, the country’s top security body, warned on Wednesday against supporting PKK/YPG/PYD saying it went contrary to the notions of friendship and alliance.

The statement came after a closed-door meeting in Ankara, which lasted over four hours under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“It has been stressed that a policy of supporting the PKK/PYD/YPG terror organization -- which is acting under the guise of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- does not suit [the principles of] friendship and alliance,” a statement released after the meeting read.

The YPG-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have been Washington's principle partner in the anti-Daesh fight in northern Syria, vexing Ankara. U.S. support for the YPG has threatened to upend relations between Washington and Ankara.

The council in the statement also questioned the freedom to operate that "terrorists" appear to benefit from in various countries, despite Turkey’s warnings.

Ankara has frequently voiced its frustration after various demonstrations organized by the PKK terror group, namely in European countries.

"It has been noted that establishing a strategic cooperation with Turkey -- which has considerable experience in the fight against terrorism – will constitute a benefit all around the world,” said the statement.

“It has been stated that terror attacks in Afghanistan, Germany, Belgium, France, Iraq, Britain, Sweden and Pakistan have shown one more time how much Turkey is right in its calls for cooperation in order to prevent terrorism," it said.

The statement also noted that Turkey’s relations with the European Union should be improved in line with Turkey’s full membership goal with lifting obstacles to visa-free travel and opening new chapters and fulfilling its commitments with regard to aid to provided for refugees.

It also said the meeting focused mainly on measures, taken inside and outside of the country, against various terror organizations.

*Reporting by Enes Kaplan, Writing by Nilay Kar