Turkish diplomat denies YPG's claim that Turkey declares war in Afrin
YPG says Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria amounted to a "declaration of war" which could trigger clashes within days.
AFRIN, Syria (Kurdistan24) - Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus on Wednesday responded to YPG's announcement that Turkey was declaring war.
The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia told Reuters on Wednesday that Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria amounted to a "declaration of war" which could trigger clashes within days.
"This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats," Kurtulmus said. "It's ... a legitimate measure so that we can protect our independence. We cannot remain silent against those sending missiles from Afrin."
The People’s Protection Units (YPG) has been a major US-ally in defeating the Islamic State (IS), much to Turkey's dismay which considers YPG an extension of outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) that has been fighting Turkey for decades over Kurdish rights.
YPG also controls a pocket of territory in Afrin, about 200 km (125 miles) west of Raqqa. Tensions between Turkish forces and the YPG have been mounting in the Afrin region in recent weeks.
US's support and arming of YPG, despite Turkey's constant disapproval, has led to much tension between the NATO allies.
For their part, YPG says Turkey indirectly supports IS by attacking its strongest enemy.
The YPG spokesperson Redur Xelil previously told Kurdistan24 Turkish air strikes on Syrian Kurds come when IS was is retreating in Raqqa.
“Turkey’s attack on our areas and forces is read as a means of supporting [IS] and ridding the group of its dilemma,” he said.
“This is a clear support to IS,” he insisted, pointing out Turkey targets the YPG because of the latter's victories made against the insurgent group.
Xelil says Syrian Kurds do not see Turkey as an enemy but Turkey perceives them as a threat.
“We wished to have good-neighborly relations with Turkey, but The Turkish government considers us enemies, while we don’t,” he said.
Turkey's military, which launched an incursion last August into part of northern Syria which lies between Afrin and a larger Kurdish-controlled area further east, has said that it has returned fire against members of YPG militia near Afrin several times in the last few weeks, a claim YPG denies.
