Erdogan questions US partnership amid visa row

TEHRAN (defapress) – Criticizing the US support for terrorist groups in the region, Turkish president questioned the US strategic partnership with Turkey.

News ID: 66565

Date: 20 October 2017 - 12:25

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday questioned the sincerity of the US strategic partnership with Turkey following a recent visa row between the two countries, according to Anadolu.

The row was sparked on Oct. 8, when the US Embassy in Ankara announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services for Turkish nationals, following the arrest of a local employee at the US Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.

The president also criticized the US for supporting the PKK/ PYD terrorists in Syria and said, "Who is taking sides with the PYD and YPG against Daesh terrorist organization? America."

"Now is it reasonable to rehabilitate a terrorist organization with another one? I am saying this here clearly because I also said it to US President Mr. Trump," Erdogan said.

He offered the US to destroy ISIL together.

"Look, we also prepared two brigades for this, I say. Let's do this job together. They say 'we will do it with PYD/YPG'," Erdogan said.

The US has supported a number of militia groups under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces, also known as the SDF, including the PKK/PYD, which is considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group.

About the Gulf crisis between Qatar and other Gulf states, he said the crisis was dissipating and he hoped it would completely disappear soon.

Erdogan said Turkey’s base in Qatar has 250 people.

He added that Saudi Arabia was also offered a Turkish base on its soil.

"I told them 'if you want we can also establish a base in Saudi Arabia'. They said 'we will evaluate it'.

"If a response came, we could have also established a base there.