Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Sunday condemned the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) president's remarks on Turkey&rs
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Sunday condemned the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) president’s remarks on Turkey’s ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria.
“The statement made by the President of TRNC against our Operation Peace Spring is inadequate and disrespectful,” said Omer Celik, the party spokesman.
Celik criticized Mustafa Akinci for inviting Turkey to hold a dialogue with terrorist organizations.
“Operation Peace Spring is being conducted against a terrorist organization, which is a murder network.
“Mr. Akinci does not formulate a single sentence against the terrorist organization, but he criticizes our efforts against terrorism. This is a clear disrespect,” Celik said on Twitter.
Erdoğan says Syrian Kurds ‘biggest’ supporters of military operation
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that they received the biggest support for Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring from Syrian Kurds.”Our operation is not targeting the Kurds,” Erdogan said in Istanbul.He went on to say that Turkey will not allow the establishment of a terrorist state in northern Syria.The ongoing military operation has killed 440 terrorists, injured 26 and captured 24, the president added.”So far, there have been 652 mortar and rocket attacks on [Turkey’s] provinces of Sanliurfa, Mardin, Sirnak and Gaziantep fired by the YPG/PKK terrorists,” Erdogan said.He noted that 18 civilians — most of them children — were martyred in PKK attacks on Turkey’s border provinces and 147 people were injured.Separately, he dubbed as “disinformation” the reports that claimed the Daesh detainees have fled prisons in northern Syria.He stressed that Turkey assumed the responsibility of more than 7,000 foreign fighters and sent a large number of them back to their country of origins.“Of course, they [PYD terrorist organization] are doing it deliberately. It is actually a disinformation. They want to provoke the U.S. or the West by doing it so,” Erdogan said in a meeting with chief editors of media outlets at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.Referring to reports in which PYD said a total of 785 Daesh detainees fled prisons, Erdogan said he has talked about this issue with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.“We meet with Russian President [Vladimir] Putin within 24 hours if there is any problem. We take the necessary steps together,” he added.Erdogan reiterated that his country “has no eye on Syrian territory.”Referring to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) president’s remarks on Turkey’s operation, he said the Turkish Cypriot leader’s comments are “disrespectful.”TRNC leader Mustafa Akinci had invited Turkey to hold a dialogue with terrorist organizations.Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria to secure its borders by eliminating terrorists there and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara wants to clear the region east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.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 the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
Turkey expects Turkish Cypriot aid in anti-terror fight
Turkey expects the support of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in its fight against terrorism, a senior Turkish official said on Sunday.“We [Turkey] want to see the TRNC stand by us in our struggle against terrorism and for Operation Peace Spring [in northern Syria],” Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said.His remarks came in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, which he visited for a meeting of Asian Parliamentary Assembly.As part of his visit, Şentop met Teberruken Ulucay, his counterpart from TRNC, and he expressed his disappointment over criticisms from TRNC about Turkey’s ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria.Ulucay said: “Any distress Turkey experiences affects the TRNC as well. So, we are very sensitive about Turkey’s concerns.”Turkey’s top officials criticized TRNC President Mustafa Akinci over his remarks against Turkey’s military operation in Syria.Şentop also met Gabriela Cuevas Barron, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and briefed her about Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.“There was left no solution but a military operation,” Şentop said, “Turkey tried everything before it launched a military operation to prevent the establishment of a terrorist corridor in the region.”He said no results were obtained despite all the efforts.He stressed that Turkey is carrying out Syria operation under it rights borne out of international law.“Turkey is hosting millions of civilians. Despite documents that show some European countries provide logistics to the terrorists, they are targeting Turkey,” Şentop said.Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.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.
He also reminded Akinci the number of citizens, soldiers and babies killed as the result of the attacks.
“For the sake of your fallen martyrs, you should not use this disrespectful language,” the party spokesman added.
Celik stressed that the Cyprus Peace Operation was carried out against a “murder network”, adding it was an operation that established peace.
“Operation Peace Spring is also a fight against terrorism […],” he added.
“These statements that do not represent the TRNC citizens is a black stain for Akinci.
“We have the same will for Operation Peace Spring which we had while we were conducting the Cyprus Peace Operation,” Celik maintained.
Top Turkish Cypriot officials back Turkey’s Syria op
Senior officials of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Sunday voiced support for Turkey’s recently launched operation in northern Syria.“We’re always together [with Turkey]. … The only right way for us is to act with Turkey and to stand shoulder to shoulder in this cause. People of TRNC stands by Turkey in its Operation Peace Spring,” Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar told Turkey’s Communication Director Fahrettin Altun over the phone.Tatar’s statement came after TRNC President Mustafa Akinci’s remarks against Turkey’s military operation in Syria.On Akinci’s remarks, Tatar said: “Turkish people should know that Ersin Tatar and his colleagues, National Unity Party, and other nationalists do not agree with those comments.”Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay also expressed support for Turkey’s anti-terror operation in northern Syria.“What we will do but support Turkey, our strategic partner and ally in every era, in their operation against terrorist groups for their own security,” he added.The top diplomat said they stand by Turkey in its firm stance against terrorists and will continue to support it.Mehmet Ali Talat, a former president of TRNC, also backed Turkey’s Syria operation, saying there is a great need for peace in the region.“I hope Turkey’s military operation succeeds immediately and it paves the way for people in the region to live in peace,” he said on Twitter.Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.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.