Turkey to continue shelling PYD in northern Syria

ANKARA

Turkey will continue shelling positions of PYD, the Syrian affiliate of PKK terrorist group, in northern Syria, Turkish premier’s chief media adviser has said.

Since Feb. 13, Turkish military has been shelling northern Syria intermittently in retaliation to artillery fire from PYD forces based around Azaz.

“We will continue to do this [shelling] and Turkey has all the legitimate rights to protect its own security [and] security of its citizens,” Osman Sert told CNN International Friday.

The interview came two days after a deadly blast in the Turkish capital Ankara Wednesday killed 28 people and wounded 81 others. Prime Minister Davutoglu revealed Thursday that the perpetrator was linked to YPG, the armed wing of PYD.

“The international community was making some calls to stop this shelling and I really hope that they are seeing right now why we were doing this,” Sert said.

Asked how this attack would affect the U.S.-Turkey relations considering Washington’s close ties with the YPG, which is America’s main ally and “reliable partner” on the ground inside Syria fighting Daesh, Sert was quick note to that “the relations with America for Turkey are of course so important. You cannot deny it”.

“But I really wonder, at this corner [pointing to the scene of attack] 28 Turkish citizens were killed by PYD in Ankara and how many more Turkish citizens should be killed by YPG, PYD and PKK together that our American friends should believe that PYD is a terrorist organization?” he asked.

Turkey considers the three Kurdish groups to be terrorist outfits but the U.S. designates only the PKK as a terrorist organization.

“We will continue to discuss, to talk with our American friends and we really expect them to see this truth,” Sert said.

“They are saying that YPG is giving a fight with Daesh in Syria and this is a very big lie,” he added.

Sert also said that necessary security measures would be taken inside Turkey “to stop this terrorist organization”.

“But we will also do some maybe cross-border things. But we [sic] Turkey knows how, when, where and what to do about it,” he said, adding Turkey did not “want to take any unilateral action about it”.

“We are talking to allies to take necessary measures. We are [sic] screaming, shouting for years about no-fly zones, safe zone, security zone, whatever you call it and the later we will [sic] do it, the cost will be much bigger for everybody,” he said.

The U.S. has neither confirmed nor denied the YPG’s responsibility for Wednesday's deadly terror attack in Ankara.