Turkish opposition poses criticism over Trump's letter

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's main opposition party leader on Tuesday posed criticism over U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial letter sent on Oct. 9 to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Why didn't you return the letter, which contains some libelous remarks, not complying with diplomatic leverages, saying that 'this discourse is unacceptable'?" Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader, asked Erdogan in his party's parliamentary group meeting.

Trump sent a letter to Erdogan on Oct. 9 when Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria against YPG/PKK terror group.

The letter could not be covered, Kilicdaroglu added.

The letter contains some remarks that do not comply with diplomatic politeness.

"How will you respond to this inappropriate discourse and defend the honor of the nation?" he asked, and added that Turkey's response would be recorded in Turkish and the U.S. archives.

On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

On Oct. 17, a U.S. delegation headed by Vice President Mike Pence paid a working visit to the capital Ankara, where they met Erdogan and discussed Turkey's anti-terror operation.

Following the meeting, the two sides reached a 13-article agreement on northeastern Syria.

As part of the deal, Turkey paused its anti-terror push east of the Euphrates River for 120 hours to allow the withdrawal of terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot YPG/PKK from the planned safe zone.

The pause for the anti-terror operation will end Tuesday night.

Ankara and the U.S. also agreed on a 32-kilometer (20-mile) safe zone south of the Turkish border in Syria, where Turkey wants to accommodate more than three million refugees it is currently hosting.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.