Erdogan Says Arms Embargoes Won't Stop Turkey's Syria Operation
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that threats of sanctions and arms embargoes by Western powers would not stop Turkey's military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria.
"After we launched our operation, we have faced threats like economic sanctions and embargoes on weapons sales. Those who think they can make Turkey turn back with these threats are gravely mistaken," Erdogan said in a televised speech.
France and Germany said Saturday that they were suspending arms exports to Turkey over its offensive in Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
Turkey sees the YPG as a terrorist off-shoot of Kurdish rebels in its own territory, but Western powers used the Kurds as the main ground force against the Islamic State group.
Erdogan said he spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on Wednesday and raised the issue of the arms embargo.
"I told her to explain it to me. Are we really allies at the heart of NATO, or has the terrorist group (the YPG) been accepted into NATO without my being informed?" he said.
He also rejected the idea of any mediation between Turkey and the YPG.
"When did you see a state sit at the same table with a terror group?" he said.
Erdogan said the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies now controlled the border town of Ras al-Ain, while Tal Abyad was being besieged from two directions.
13 October 2019, 16:15
10
Erdogan is the new face the West hates.
Because he attacked the Kurds that Israel and America loves so much.
By the way, it was the Resistance, Syrian Government and Russia that won against ISIS.
Neither America nor the Kurds, all they fought for was a Kurdistan.
13 October 2019, 16:17
10
Erdogan is a hero for the salafis, but his attack on Syria makes it hard for the West aswell, because it is two western allies slaughtering one another now.
13 October 2019, 17:04
01
Abandonné !
Je ne suis pas un enfant palestinien pour que les Arabes s'indignent,
Je ne suis pas un enfant syrien réfugié qui échoue sur les plages de Lesbos pour que l'Europe s'indigne.
Je ne suis pas un enfant mexicain coincé à la frontière US pour que les Américains s'indignent,
Je suis un enfant kurde, et mon peuple n'a ni d'État pour me protéger ni d'institutions pour me défendre.
Mon peuple qui vit sur ce territoire depuis 10 000 ans est déchiré entre les puissants, l'Iran' l'Irak, la Syrie et la Turquie et tous veulent m'assimiler ou me voir disparaître.
Mon peuple a subi les exécutions du Chah d'Iran, les persécutions de Assad, le gazage de Sadam et aujourd'hui le bombardement de Erdogan.
Mon peuple n'a colonisé aucun territoire, mon peuple ne veut la guerre avec personne, il veut juste vivre en paix.
Mon peuple a fait une seule guerre, contre Daech et pour libérer l'humanité entière de la barbarie islamiste.
Je suis un enfant kurde.
