JAKARTA - Turkey issued the necessary warnings to allied countries, to keep terrorists away from their territory and cut all ties with terrorist groups as soon as possible, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.
"Turkey warned allied countries not to support the PKK/YPG terrorist group for any reason, including the pretext of fighting ISIS," Minister Akar told reporters in the capital Ankara, quoted by Daily Sabah December 2.
Regarding the United States' statement on a possible Syrian ground operation, Akar said: "We are explaining our sensitivity. We want promises to be kept."
He further said that allied countries should not allow terrorists to wear and use the flags and uniforms of their country.
"Working against terrorism will contribute to regional peace," he told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin by phone on Wednesday, as Ankara prepares to launch a new operation into northern Syria.
Referring to Turkey's cross-border operations in northern Iraq and Syria, Defense Minister Akar said counterterrorism operations were carried out in line with self-defense rights based on Article 51 of the UN Charter, to ensure the security of the Turkish nation and its borders.
He also stressed that the only target in the operation was terrorists and that Turkey had never targeted coalition forces or civilians.
Cooperation and solidarity in the fight against terrorism will contribute to regional and global peace and security, he said, underscoring that in this context, Turkey is ready to work together against ISIS and all other terrorist organizations.
The US cooperates with the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, as its local partner to fight ISIS.
The PKK is an organization labeled terrorists in the United States, Turkey, and the European Union, and Washington's support for its affiliates in Syria has been a major pressure on bilateral relations with Ankara.
The US primarily partnered with PKK/YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria in its fight against the ISIS terrorist group. On the other hand, Turkey strongly opposes the presence of PKK/YPG in northern Syria.
As previously reported, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed his opposition to Turkey's new military operation in Syria, concerned about the development of the situation in the region, while speaking with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the Pentagon said.
On the occasion, Secretary Austin also expressed his condolences for the November 13 attack on Istanbul, the Pentagon said.
"He also expressed concern over the increasing actions in northern Syria and Turkey, including recent airstrikes, some of which directly threaten the safety of US personnel working with local partners in Syria to defeat ISIS," the Pentagon said in a statement.
"Minister Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department's strong opposition to the new Turkish military operations in Syria," the statement continued.
Turkey is known to have updated its airstrikes in northern Syria, following the deadly bombings in Istanbul, which were accused of being carried out by Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria, citing The National News.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan some time ago said Turkey would launch a ground invasion as soon as possible and warned that its airstrike against Kurdish was only the beginning.
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