Turkey: Opposition HDP to not back Iraq, Syria motion

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) announced on Tuesday it would not back a motion to extend a government mandate to launch cross-border military operations in northern Iraq and Syria for one more year.

"It is time to say 'No' to these motions," said Sezai Temelli, co-chair of the HDP, at his party's parliamentary group meeting.

The Turkish Presidency on Monday submitted a motion to the parliament to extend the mandate to launch cross-border military operations in northern Iraq and Syria for one more year.

The motion had previously allowed the Turkish military to carry out cross-border operations from Oct. 30, 2018 until Oct. 30, 2019.

The motion will be debated on Tuesday in the parliament.

Temelli also criticized government's plans to form a safe zone in northern Syria.

Turkey plans to resettle 2 million Syrians in a 30-kilometer-wide (19 miles) safe zone to be set up in Syria, stretching from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, along with the town of Manbij, west of the river.

Since 2016, Turkey’s Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northwestern Syria have liberated parts of the country from YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists, making it possible for nearly 400,000 Syrians who fled the violence to return home to western Syria.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization.