Turkey – Erdogan Vows to Fight ISIS as Parliament Poised to Vote on Action

MESOP : IF BAYIK (PKK) STARTS WAR AGAIN – APO HAS TO STAY IN IMRALI

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region RUDAW 1-10-2014 –  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) was a priority for Turkey, as the parliament appeared set to debate authorization for military action that could include cross-border hits in Syria and Iraq.

“The fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations in the region will be a priority for Turkey,” Turkish media quoted the president as saying. So far, Turkey has been a reluctant partner in a US-led coalition of some 50 nations gathered to defeat ISIS, which is fighting in Iraq and Syria. There have also been wide reports that for years Ankara has turned a blind eye to militants slipping into Syria for “jihad” from its territory.

Erdogan said it was unacceptable to think that Turkey had shown any sympathy towards a terrorist organization. He said Turkey’s goal was the removal of the authoritarian Bashar Assad regime and preserving Syrian territorial integrity. The Daily Sabah quoted Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc as saying that, when parliament meets Thursday, it will deliberate authorization for military action that could include hits across the border. That motion is strongly opposed by the main pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP). It fears Turkey could use this an opportunity to strike at the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main protection force in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava). Ankara is opposed to the group because of its links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has a 30-year war with Turkey over greater Kurdish rights. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which was founded by the PKK, accused Ankara of backing ISIS against Syrian Kurds.

“They have transported arms, tanks and munitions by train,” said Cemil Bayik, a top KCK leader.  He accused the Turkish military of firing at YPG vehicles from across the border and trying to obstruct its movements. “In this way they are assisting ISIS,” Bayik was quoted as saying by the pro-PKK Firat news.

The HDP says the bill to authorize military action would only contribute to further destabilization of the region. Turkey is facing a massive influx of Kurdish refugees from the Kobane area since the militants launched attacks around the town less than a fortnight ago, drawing more than 160,000 refugees to seek shelter across the border in Turkey. Selahattin Demirtas, an HDP leader who crossed the border into Kobane on Tuesday in a visit of solidarity, later called on the Turkish government to support the fight of Syrian Kurds against ISIS. He said this was an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s peace process with its own Kurdish population. Kobane has been under renewed assaults by the ISIS for about 10 days. It has been defended only the by YPG, until US forces carried out air strikes Saturday on militants outside the city. Demirtas urged Ankara to recognize the self-declared autonomous Kurdish region in Rojava, and provide military assistance to the YPG against ISIS. Meanwhile, an HDP delegation met the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, at his Imrali island prison. Ocalan is expected to speak about the situation in Kobane.