The People's Defense Units (YPG), also called People's Protection Units, the socialist US-backed Kurdish militant group in Syria has to leave their weapons or they will be buried in Syria, according to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a stern message to Kurdish fighters in Syria, urging them to either lay down their arms or be buried with them.
HDN Newsroom
"The Kurds will either leave their weapons or they will be buried in Syria with them," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has become accustomed to such provocative statements, said provocatively. He added that "Assad is a coward, he sold them all and left Syria," while at the same time announcing that Turkey intends to open its consulate in Aleppo soon.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a stern message to Kurdish fighters in Syria, urging them to either lay down their arms or be buried with them.
The statement comes as clashes continue between Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups and Kurds in the wake of the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Since Assad's fall, Ankara has repeatedly insisted that the Kurdish militia (YPG) be disbanded, arguing that the group has no place in Syria's future.
"The separatist killers will say goodbye to their weapons or be buried on Syrian land with them," Erdogan said during a speech to lawmakers from the ruling AKP party. "We will eliminate the terrorist organization that is trying to weave a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish brothers," he added.
At the same time, he announced that Turkey intends to open its consulate in Aleppo soon.
Turkey considers the Kurdish militia (YPG), spearheaded by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has been fighting the Turkish state for 40 years and has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU.
The Turkish president once again railed against Bashar al-Assad, calling him a coward. "The struggle of the Syrian people, full of suffering, reached victory on December 8. The regime collapsed, the cowardly Assad sold everyone and left Syria. A new page has now opened for this country. Turkey made the necessary interventions to prevent further bloodshed. This victory is a magnificent success. The Syrian people saved their country from a network of slaughter. The Syrian people are on their way to determining their future and we are happy about that. We are happy when we see the flag of Free Syria and the crescent star in Aleppo, Damascus and Homs. We are happy and satisfied when we look into the eyes of oppressed Syrians who shine with hope," Erdogan said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Erdogan looked back at the suffering of the Syrian people in recent years, referring to little Aylan.
"The events in Syria began on March 15, 2011, when a child was arrested, tortured and martyred for something he wrote on a wall. Against our advice, the Assad regime suppressed the protests in a bloody manner. Although it was possible to end the conflict, he continued to oppress his people. Syria has been dragged into great chaos with more than 13 years of massacres. Towns, villages and historical artifacts were bombed. Millions of our brothers and sisters have been martyred either by massacres by the regime or by attacks by terrorist organisations. More than 12 million Syrians fled their homes and homeland. 3.6 million of these displaced people sought refuge in our country. Some who took to the streets to save their lives and build a safe life for their families drowned. Some were left to die in the middle of the sea. We have witnessed countless atrocities that make people ashamed of their humanity. How can we forget that innocent photograph of little Aylan that is etched in our memory and hearts like a nail? How can we forget the children who died in schools reduced to rubble by barrel bombs? How can we forget the women whose chastity was violated before their husbands? How can we forget the cruelty of Sabiha human waste? How can we forget extrajudicial killings and torture? How can we forget the civilized world's indifference to them? How can we forget supporting the separatist group under the pretext of fighting ISIS? How can we forget the eclipse of reason and conscience of the opposition?"
