PYD terror ties make US leaving Syria harder: Turkey

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - As it tries to end its involvement with the terrorist PKK/PYD in Syria, the U.S. is having problems withdrawing its forces, said Turkey’s foreign minister on Wednesday.

"We see that the U.S. has some difficulties while withdrawing [from Syria],” Mevlut Cavusoglu told parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

“After being so intertwined and engaged with a terrorist organization, it is not that easy to leave that terrorist organization," he added, referring to the terrorist PKK/PYD.

Ankara has long criticized the U.S. working with the terrorist PKK/PYD to fight Daesh in Syria, saying that using one terror group to fight another makes no sense.

In its 30-year terrorist campaign, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives, including women and children. The PKK/PYD is its Syrian branch.

Cavusoglu reiterated that Turkey has repeatedly rejected U.S. claims that Washington will not withdraw its troops from northeastern Syria without a guarantee from Ankara that it won’t attack “Kurds." Turkey's leadership has stressed that equating "Kurds" with the terrorist PKK/PYD is illicit.

Cavusoglu added that under the Astana process, Turkey has been coordinating with Russia and Iran on Syria.

On the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, Cavusoglu said there have been "no problems faced so far with implementation of the Idlib deal, and Turkey has no wish to face problems going forward."

Turning to the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Cavusoglu said finding a solution to the Yemen issue will be one of Turkey's priorities in 2019.

On the Cyprus issue, he said European Parliament elections set for this May have forestalled the start of any Cyprus negotiations.