Turkey Blasts Double Standards in Anti-Terrorism Fight

TEHRAN (defapress)- Turkey’s EU affairs minister criticized the US and some EU countries for sympathizing with terrorist organizations.

News ID: 68573

Date: 09 February 2018 - 16:46

In a Twitter post, Omer Celik said some countries, who ask Turkey’s cooperation against terrorist organizations, support them when Turkey fights against those groups, Anadolu reported.

“The reactions against Operation Olive Branch show how far the double standards have spread in the fight against terrorism,” Celik added.

On Wednesday, Celik criticized French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s statement claiming that Turkey had targeted civilians in the operation and “violated international law.”

“Turkey's fight against terrorism is fully in line with international law. The ones who violate law and commit crimes are the ones who provide arms to the PYD/YPG,” Celik added, referring to the group that is the primary focus of the operation.

Over the past few years, Turkey's border provinces of Hatay and Kilis have been subject to over 700 attacks from Afrin.

Since Jan. 21 alone, rocket and mortar attacks launched by the PYD/PKK  in the Syrian enclave of Afrin have killed seven civilians and injured 113 in Hatay and Kilis.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and the ISIL from Syria’s Northwestern Afrin region.