‘If Russia Removes YPG in Company with Syrian Army, We will not Object’

* Photo: BBC

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has spoken to Zeinab Badawi from the BBC HARDTalk about the Operation Peace Spring.

"Russia is conveying messages between Damascus and Ankara. If Russia removes the YPG elements from the region in company with Syrian army, we will not object", Çavuşoğlu has told Badawi.

'It is not ethnic cleansing'

Referring to Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad, Çavuşoğlu has said that "two large cities have been cleared". "It is not an ethnic cleansing, it is a counter-terrorism operation", Çavuşoğlu has indicated and added:

"It is not an effort to change the demographics of the country or the region. It is the YPG/PKK, which changes the demographics... They are conducting a black propaganda. But, whatever the allegations, they need to be investigated. President Erdoğan is very sensitive about this issue as well."

'How can we release ISIS members?'

Çavuşoğlu has continued as follows:

"President Erdoğan informed US President Trump. Trump only asked ISIS and the camps where ISIS members were held. Erdoğan indicated that Turkey would assume the responsibility of the ISIS members in the region."

Stating that when the security forces reached the camps where over 1,000 ISIS members were kept, it was seen that there was not a single ISIS member. "Because PKK/YPG released them all", he has said and added:

"The terrorists released by the YPG cannot be our responsibility.

"They fought against the ISIS just to obtain more land. Did you forget about Raqqa? They made the ISIS members get on a bus in Raqqa and sent them.

"Which country, other than Iraq, has killed over 4 thousand ISIS members? ISIS is a threat to us, how can we release them?

"We need to rehabilitate the women and children left behind. We need to work together about this issue. We have a shared responsibility there."

'We did not want green light from anyone'

"Which tweet of Trump am I supposed to follow? He can post a different tweet in 5 minutes. We did not want anyone to give us a green light. We wanted to work together, but, unfortunately, they did not meet their liabilities.

"Our national security concern is above everything. For us, for our nation... Therefore, this is a legitimate security concern and we, of course, expect our allies to recognize this and to respect this. If they prefer to continue this language of threatening; frankly speaking, we are not afraid of this.

"We know that if we cannot eliminate these terrorists at the other side of the border today, in the future, it will be much more difficult and, maybe, it will not be possible. It is more important than the sanctions right now.

"This is vitally important for us. That is why, there is a unity among the country as well and we are not afraid of the sanctions.

"Trump invited President Erdoğan and Erdoğan accepted this invitation. If there is a sanction against the President or his family, the US visit will not mean anything". (PT/SD)

* Sources: BBC Türkçe, BBC HARDTalk