Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) a terrorist group affiliated with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) which has fought an insurgency in southeastern Turkey since 1984.
Al-Watan, a daily Egyptian newspaper, conducted an interview with Salih Musallam, the leader of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).
In the interview, Salih Musallm, the leader of the of the PYD said that the White House decision to arm the Kurdish YPG fighters for supporting an operation against the Islamic State (ISIS), is a positive step that comes within the context of the ongoing coordination between the Syrian Democratic forces and the international coalition.
He also said that he does not care about the Turkish stance from the decision.
Days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation for retaking the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State despite fierce opposition from NATO ally, Turkey.
Turkey strongly objected to the U.S. decision to arm Kurdish forces in Syria, calling the plan unacceptable and amounting to support for terrorists.
Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli , said “This issue is a matter of existence or nonexistence for Turkey.”
He added,”It is a matter of survival for Turkey. Everyone should see it this way. We can never accept or allow the existence of terrorist organizations that pose a threat to Turkey’s future.”
Musallm also attacked Turkey via Egypt’s newspaper saying that Ankara doesn’t want ISIS (Daesh) to fall as it is one of its tools in Syria.
He also claimed that,”Turkey supports this terrorist organization (ISIS) as well as al-Nusra Front and the other factions.”
When he was interrupted in the interview that Turkey is already fighting a war on terrorism and Daesh in northern Syria, he said Turkey did not fight Daesh even once and that there are has been always a continuous agreement between Daesh and Ankara!!
It is worth to mention that experts said that Turkey’s battle against the terrorist group Daesh has become more effective, over a short period of time, compared to that of the U.S.-led coalition.
On August 24, 2016, Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield to dislodge ISIS from Jarablus, which was its last major redoubt on the 500-mile border.
In addition, until now, Turkey and the Free Syrian Army( FSA) have cleared some of the main strongholds of Daesh, including Dabiq, Jarablus, al-Rai and al-Bab.
The Egyptian-Turkish relations deteriorated after the military coup in 2013 led by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The coup overthrew Egypt’s first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi.
Turkey provided support to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and it doesn’t recognize al-Sisi military regime.
