TÜRKÇE
  Updated: 19/03/2018

Statement by Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik regarding Türkiye’s fight against terrorism in Afrin

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik made statements over his twitter account regarding the stance of the European Union regarding Türkiye’s fight against terrorism in Afrin. Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said that the EU had taken a wrong stance regarding Türkiye’s fight against terrorism in Afrin since the very beginning and indicated that the EU only criticized instead of being supportive. Minister Çelik indicated that the use of the term “Kurdish fighters” was an attempt to make terrorism seem innocent and said “Portraying the terrorist organisation as representative of the Kurdish people is a tyrannical approach.”

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik, who reminded of the EU call to “not add conflict to conflicts, military activities should not be increased” said: “Operation Olive Branch is not carried out to add conflict to conflicts but to end the atrocities of terrorism. Those who have no concrete recommendations for fighting terrorism are criticising the fight against terrorism. If Türkiye were not to carry out an effective fight against terrorism with Operation Olive Branch, would the EU have a plan to fight against terrorist organisation which want to permanently establish areas of authority near our borders? We see that there is no such plan.”

Minister Ömer Çelik also criticized the call made to Türkiye “to fight against only terrorist organisations that are on the United Nations (UN) list” and said “Instead of fighting against a terrorist organisation that is not on the UN list, should we wait for years for the UN to include it in its list even while it is firing rocket to our territory? Those who do not consider the PKK to be a terrorist organisation because it has changed its name think that the fight against terrorism is simply a fight against nameplates. The PYD/YPG is the same as the PKK.  A change in its nameplate will not alter the fact that it is a terrorist organisation.

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik, who said that the use of the term “Kurdish fighters” was an attempt to make terrorism seem innocent and was unfair to the Kurdish people in the region, also said:

“Portraying the terrorist organisation as representative of the Kurdish people is a tyrannical approach. They are revealing their true intentions. It is clear that those who arm terrorist organisations wish to use Kurdish children for their political motives. The PKK/PYD/YPG is an accomplice in this aim.  The PKK/PYD/YPG is a “terrorist organisation”. Whoever uses an ethnic adjective instead essentially aims to equate terrorism with this people and also to use it for their own aims.”

Minister Ömer Çelik emphasized that Türkiye was not adding conflict to conflicts in Syria but that it was fighting against the creation of corridors of terrorism and said: “Unlike those who act like spectators, we do not simply watch but also save aggrieved people from terrorist organisations. Operation Olive Branch has dealt a heavy blow to the policy of abandoning the aggrieved Syrian people to the despotism of terrorist organisations. All who stand with the Syrian people should also stand with the will set forth by Operation Olive Branch.”


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Updated: 19/03/2018 / Hit: 11,128