Turkish president to visit US on Tuesday

By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a two-day working visit to the United States at the invitation of his American counterpart Donald Trump starting Tuesday, according to the Turkish Communications Directorate.

Erdogan’s talks with Trump on Wednesday will tackle all aspects of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues, especially Syria, said a directorate statement.

The sides will discuss how solidarity, cooperation, and coordination against terrorism can be further strengthened, it said.

During the visit, Erdogan will also give a speech to the business community hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

According to his itinerary, Erdogan will visit the Diyanet Center of America in Maryland -- a center which coordinates with Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) -- and will meet members of the Turkish and Muslim community in the U.S.

The visit comes after an Oct. 17 deal with the U.S. under which YPG/PKK terrorists were to withdraw from Turkey’s anti-terrorist Operation Peace Spring region in northern Syria.

Turkey has complained that the YPG/PKK terrorists -- sometimes allies of the U.S., ostensibly to fight ISIS/Daesh -- did not leave the area, and continue to launch attacks.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate the terrorist YPG/PKK from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the region so that a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some two million refugees.

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 of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

The U.S. partnership with YPG terrorists ignores evidence supplied by Turkey that the YPG is in fact part of the terrorist PKK, which the U.S. does recognize as a terror group.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut