Over renewed executive order of US for Syria, Türkiye urges Washington to cut ties with terrorists in region

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye responded to a US executive order on Syria on Thursday by reiterating its expectation that the Washington end its engagement with separatist terrorists in Syria.

"We expect the US to terminate its engagement with the separatist terrorist organization," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said, underlining that Ankara also wants Washington to fulfill the provisions of a 2019 joint statement between the two countries prior to Türkiye's launch of its Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.

Stressing that the operation "provided an environment of peace and stability in the region," Bilgic said it was carried out under Türkiye's right to self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter and other "relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council on the fight against terrorism."

According to a statement released by the ministry, Bilgic said that the operation was "subjected to baseless allegations" in the executive order renewed by US President Joe Biden.

The statement also said Operation Peace Spring significantly weakened the activities of the PKK/YPG and Daesh/ISIS terror groups, pushing them away from Turkish borders and helping safeguard Syria's territorial integrity.

It said that instead of opting for such "unilateral acts," it would be more befitting to the "deep-rooted and valuable relations between the two allies" if Washington gave its support for Türkiye's "stability-oriented policies towards Syria which prioritize this country’s unity."

Türkiye launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria on Oct. 9, 2019 in order to secure Türkiye borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to clear the region east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.