Arab tribes' fight against PKK/YPG terror group in Syria 'struggle of honor': Turkish President Erdogan

By Diyar Guldogan

On clashes between Arab tribes and the PKK/YPG terror group in eastern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Arab tribes are claiming back their lands in unity and solidarity.

"What is happening now is the move, the step, of the Arab tribes to claim their lands in unity and solidarity. That's why I think it's important.

"Arab tribes are the real owners of those places. The real owners of those places are not these terrorist organizations," Erdogan told reporters late Monday on the presidential plane while returning from a visit to Russia.

Erdogan reiterated that PKK and YPG are terrorist organizations.

"The attitude of the tribes against the PKK and YPG by coming together is a struggle of honor," he added, stressing the terrorist organization is dangerous for the people of the region.

Operations launched by Arab tribes against the PKK/YPG in the eastern Syria province of Deir ez-Zor that started last week expanded with the participation of other Arab tribes.

Since Aug. 27, a total of 33 villages have been liberated from YPG/PKK occupation in the rural areas of the Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasakah provinces and the Manbij district of Aleppo.

"Countries that support these organizations must see that the terrorist organization PKK/YPG does not recognize the right to live for the people of the region through its terrorist activities," Erdogan said.

Ankara is constantly informing the US and Russia about PKK/YPG's terrorist activities that threaten Türkiye, he added.

"There is no massacre or terrorist activity that this terrorist organization would not do to control the oil in Deir ez-Zor. We have made the necessary warnings to the addressee countries in this regard.

"It was seen that the ammunition and weapons aid provided by the US to this terrorist organization did not serve the peace of the region. Every weapon given to the terrorist organization serves to continue the bloodshed in the region and to disrupt the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria," Erdogan said.