EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik yesterday at Anadolu Agency (AA) Editor's Desk harshly criticized the High Representative for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini for saying that Turkey should have acted with composure following the coupa attempt. Criticizing EU states for their lack of empathy and delayed condolences on the July 15 failed coup attempt, the minister stated that Turkey will continue its cooperation with those EU states while keeping in mind that they are not friends of Turkey, also commenting on remarks made by the High Representative for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini who called for composure on the day of coup attempt, stressing that stressed that "Urging for composure with those trying to kill us is not displaying sovereignty with us." In regards to Turkey-Russia relations, Minister Çelik emphasized that relations between the two countries are not an alternative to relations with EU. "Turkey's relations with the EU, Russia or the Islamic world are not an alternative to each other but are rather relations that complete each other collectively. The EU does not support the coup Turkey experienced but claims that there has been an axial shift occurring since Turkey began to normalize relations with Russia. These are complementary relations," Çelik added.

As Operation Euphrates Shield continues in northern Syria, Turkey's EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik strongly dismissed claims regarding a cease-fire agreement in Syria between Turkey and the PKK's Syrian offshoot Democratic Union Party (PYD) Minister Çelik further stressed that there is still a PYD presence as of now to the west of the Euphrates River despite promises to move to the east, stressing that this is "unacceptable" and adding that "PYD activities in northern Syria benefit terrorist groups, not the Kurdish people." Commenting on the EU's position on Turkey regarding the normalization process with Russia, the Turkish minister underlined that normalization of relations with Russia is "not an alternative to Turkey-EU relations; rather, they are relations that complete each other."

Turkey's EU minister further commented on the military operation in northern Syria by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and dismissed claims made by the U.S. that a cease-fire between Ankara and terrorist PYD has been reached. "The Republic of Turkey is an independent, lawful state. It cannot be evaluated as if it were equal to [the [PKK/PYD] as if there were an agreement between Turkey and these terrorist groups," he said. Minister Çelik continued by stating that "some of the PYD remains west of the Euphrates River despite promises to move to the east, which is unacceptable," going on to dismiss claims that Turkey is against Kurds in the region and stressing that "the PYD now cooperates with the Assad regime. It also gets protection from the U.S. They [PKK-affiliate PYD] also have cooperation to the east of the Euphrates; namely, with Russia. However, we are against the PYD because it is a terrorist organization. We do not want ethnic and sectarian-based states established in the region, this should not be presented as an anti-Kurdish stance."