Newsdeck

Newsdeck

Turkey says it will do “what is necessary” after Syria attacks

Buildings on the skyline of the European side sit on the horizon, framed beneath a Turkish flag flying from the Asian side, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday, April 27, 2020. Coming off a brief recession just over a year ago, the urgency is mounting for Turkey to loosen the screws on the economy as its currency and reserves come under pressure more than a month after it introduced social-distancing measures. Photographer: Kerem Uzel/Bloomberg

ANKARA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday Turkey would "do what is necessary for its security" after what it said was a rise in cross-border attacks by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that an attack that Ankara blamed on the U.S.-backed YPG that killed two Turkish police was “the final straw” and that Turkey was determined to eliminate threats originating in north Syria.

Turkey said police in northern Syria’s Azaz region were hit in a guided missile attack on Sunday launched by the YPG, which Turkey says is a terrorist group. On Monday, shells believed to have been fired from a YPG-controlled area further east exploded in two areas of Karkamis in southern Turkey, Ankara said.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Cavusoglu said the United States and Russia had not kept their promises to ensure the YPG withdraw from the Syrian border area.

“In the latest attacks… both Russia and the U.S. have a responsibility as they did not keep their promises,” Cavusoglu said. “Since they are not keeping their promises, we will do what is necessary for our security,” he said.

Turkey controls swathes of territory in north Syria with allied Syrian rebels, after carrying out three separate cross-border offensive into the region against Islamic State and the YPG. Ankara has been infuriated by the U.S. support for the YPG and demands its NATO ally ceases its backing.

In separate agreements with Moscow and Washington in 2019, Turkey halted its offensive in northeast Syria in exchange for the withdrawal of YPG militants 30 km south of its border, but has since repeatedly complained of violations and accused both countries of not keeping promises. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Daily Maverick Elections Toolbox

Feeling powerless in politics?

Equip yourself with the tools you need for an informed decision this election. Get the Elections Toolbox with shareable party manifesto guide.