Turkey will not let PYD cross the Euphrates, President Erdoğan says


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday slammed PKK's Syrian wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) terrorist organization in a live interview on 24 news channel.Saying that the Turkish military recently retaliated against PYD's attempt to cross the Euphrates to reach Jarablus, Erdoğan said that Turkey will take necessary steps to prevent PYD terror in Northern Syria. "Turkey does not need to obtain permission from anyone to interfere in the region to secure its borders," he added.Underlining that the PYD is conducting ethnic cleansing against non-Kurds in the region, he said that some areas in the region are crucial to prevent PYD advance. The president also added that Turkey's war on terror will continue regardless of the results of the upcoming November 1 general elections."Our war on terror is not limited to a short period of time. We will stand strong against terrorist organizations which collaborate against our country regardless of the elections," Erdoğan said. Slamming the West for their double standard towards ISIS and PKK terrorist organizations, Erdoğan said that Turkey is against all terrorist organizations, whether it is the PKK, ISIS or another organization. PYD's US-backed armed wing, People's Protection Units (YPG) has drawn ire and harsh criticism before forforcing non-Kurds to leave their towns under PYD control. Amnesty International released a report on October 12, showing human rights violations including forced displacement and demolishing houses by the YPG.The crimes committed by the YPG amount to war crimes and that non-Kurdish, mostly Turkmen and Arab, inhabitants of villages in the so-called de-facto autonomous Kurdish administration were forced out of their homes, according to the Amnesty report.