Turkey: French terrorist mediation offer 'unacceptable'

By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ANKARA (AA) - France’s offer to mediate between Turkey and the PYD/PKK-led SDF terrorist group in Syria is "unacceptable," Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday.

The meeting of France’s president with the terrorist SDF on Thursday shows its "double standard" on terrorist groups, Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin in Ankara.

"Who are you to mediate between Turkey and terror groups?" Cavusoglu said, echoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements earlier on Friday.

"This is what France does, trying to show themselves as important, to play a role in every subject. But this is unacceptable," Cavusoglu said.

After Thursday’s meeting at the Elysee Palace, France’s presidency issued a statement saying that Macron recalled “France’s commitment against the PKK and its commitment to the security of Turkey”.

However, as Turkey has documented, the PYD/PKK and SDF actually are the Syrian branches of the terrorist PKK, recognized by Turkey, France, and the EU as a terrorist group.

Macron also claimed the SDF had “no operational link with this terrorist group” -- the PKK -- adding that "a dialogue could be established between the SDF and Turkey with the assistance of France and the international community".

But the SDF is dominated by PYD/PKK forces, as Ankara has demonstrated.

In its 30-year terrorist campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives.

Ankara has warned against international actors cooperating with such groups as the PYD/PKK, YPG/PKK, and SDF/PKK, as they are just the PKK under different names.