Davutoğlu: Truce Not Binding For Us

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Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has stated that they would support the truce in Syria yet in case it becomes a threat for Turkey, the truce would lose its meaning for them.

Some headlines from Davutoğlu’s statement in Konya are as follows:

“Truce applies for Syria”

“For us, YPG (People’s Protection Units) is a terrorist organization just like DAİŞ (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and Al Nusra. Yet the truce does not include such a reference.

“Yet just so it may be known, this truce applies for Syria, for the parties clashing against each other in Syria.

“When a party becomes a threat in Turkey, when Turkey’s security is the matter, this truce would not be binding for us”.

“Won’t ask anyone permission”

When Turkey’s security is in question, we will not ask anyone permission, [...] and do what needs to be done because as of that moment, this issue does no longer concern only Syria and becomes a concern of Turkey.

“Hence formations of YPG and PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) should not allow themselves to think ‘there is truce here, and Turkey would not do us any harm anyway’ and maintain their attitude supporting the terror in Turkey.

“The truce applies for Turkey. And the authority to decide on the security measures Turkey would take is Ankara”.

Edoğan had also said, YPG should be excluded

In his statement yesterday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had remarked "Everybody should acknowledge at last that PYD/YPG is an extension of the terrorist organization PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). PYD and YPG should be excluded from the truce agreement just like DAİŞ (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is. These are both terrorist organizations like PKK, DAİŞ and Al Qaeda. As Turkey, our perception of and attitude against PYD/YPG is and will be the same as our perception of and attitude against PKK and DAİŞ".  

Erdoğan claiming Al Nusra also fights against ISIS, defended it is a hypocracy that those considering Al Nusra terrorist do not deem YPG as a terrorist organization. (EKN/DG)

* Photograph: Orhan Akkanat / AA