Including the word "democratic" in the name of a terrorist organization is an affront to democracy, Türkiye's United Nations envoy said Tuesday as he slammed statements about Turkish airstrikes on the PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch, the YPG.
Feridun Sinirlioğlu was referring to the United States-led efforts to present the YPG terrorist group under different labels, particularly under the title of the so-called "Syrian Democratic Forces" or SDF.
"You may change the name of this terrorist organization as many times as you want. But there is no changing its intent," Sinirlioğlu told a Security Council meeting on Syria. "You may even make a mockery of global counterterrorism efforts rebranding them as 'democratic.' This is an affront to democracy."
"The statements expressing concern that our counterterrorism operations against the PKK/YPG might adversely affect the fight against Daesh, cannot be more detached from reality," he said.
Sinirlioğlu also said changing the name of the YPG/PKK cannot change the fact that it is a terrorist organization, which he said has the blood of "Turkish and Syrian civilians on its hands."
He said Türkiye has raised the issue of using one terrorist organization against another.
"We have, on countless occasions, warned against the mistake of sub-contracting the fight against Daesh to another terrorist organization, namely the so-called 'SDF,' which, in reality, is nothing but the PKK/YPG itself," he said.
In his remarks, Sinirlioğlu responded to the U.N. envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who cited a statement by the terrorist group that denied its involvement in the terrorist attack in Istanbul, saying it was "adding salt to injury."
"Referring to a terrorist organization statement in this council is totally unacceptable and is an insult to our intelligence," he added.
Pedersen said tension has escalated in northern Syria in recent months and violence has spilled into Turkish territory after strikes by the YPG and Türkiye.
"The Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) has called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation, whether in the air or on the ground. Let me stress that Türkiye, the armed opposition and the SDF should de-escalate now," said Pedersen.
U.S. envoy to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, for her part, called for restraint and voiced American concerns about Turkish airstrikes against the terror group.
Recently, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border aerial campaign against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG, which have illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan attacks on Turkish soil.
The country's air operation followed a PKK/YPG terrorist attack on Nov. 13 on Istanbul's crowded Istiklal Street that killed six people and left 81 injured.
After the air operation was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also signaled a ground operation in northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat, adding, "This is not limited to just an air operation."
The president specified northern Syria's YPG-controlled Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (Kobani) regions as possible targets to clear of terrorists.
The Turkish leader has threatened a new military operation into northern Syria since May and upped those threats in the wake of this month's attack. Erdoğan has repeatedly called for a 30-kilometer (18-mile) safe zone to protect Türkiye against cross-border attacks from Syrian territory.
"We know the identity, location and track record of the terrorists. We also know very well who patronizes, arms and encourages terrorists," Erdoğan also recently said, alluding to the U.S. support for the YPG.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Wednesday reiterated Türkiye's call for NATO allies, particularly the United States, to end their support to terror groups in Syria.
The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in the U.S., Türkiye and the European Union, and Washington's support for its Syrian affiliate has been a major strain on bilateral relations with Ankara. The PKK/YPG has controlled much of northeastern Syria after the forces of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad withdrew in 2012. The U.S. primarily partnered with PKK/YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group. On the other hand, Türkiye strongly opposed the PKK/YPG's presence in northern Syria.
Under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the U.S. has provided military training and given truckloads of military support to the PKK/YPG, despite its NATO ally's security concerns. Underlining that one cannot support one terrorist group to defeat another, Türkiye conducted its counterterrorism operations throughout, removing a significant number of terrorists from the region.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
