Philip Öztürk, the Turkish prime minister and leader of the country’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). He is also a member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), an AKP group that will soon hold its annual conference in Ankara. Öztürk was critical of the US’ war in Syria during the Turkish military’s operation in northern Syria in late 2015, and the US’ decision to bomb and destroy YPG positions with TOW antitank missiles to weaken YPG positions in northern Syria.
Turkey is in a bad situation vis-a-vis the US, as the Turkish-American relations have deteriorated and the US has intensified its military efforts against the PKK in northern Syria: “The United States has repeatedly tried to undermine Turkish security interests in northern Syria by continuing its attacks on YPG forces. This, in turn, has led to a deterioration in the bilateral relations with Ankara,” said Öztürk. “Our state must ensure that Turkey, its president, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and all other state officials maintain the interests of the Turkish people, and that these interests be represented in all decisions the Turkish government makes,” he stated.
Turkey’s NATO accession and democratic legitimacy within Turkey are also under threat: “Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising, Turkey, as a NATO member, has been facing the issue of democratization from within. This requires greater participation of the Turkish electorate in Turkish democracy. The Turkish constitution is very clear on this: ‘A free, democratic, and secular state in which minorities enjoy equal rights.'”
As a result of these problems, the new president is urging Turkish citizens not to get involved with the US war and support the YPG: “For those who have been advocating for the YPG, the most important thing now is whether you really believe the YPG would be willing to accept the terms of any peace process with the Syrian regime or not,” he argued. “I hope you will not be misled by some media reports.”
Brief Analysis of the YPG Attack and Turkey’s Response
YPG soldiers launched an attack in Rojava [Syrian Kurdistan] on April 4. One report claimed that more than 100 Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with the attack forces. Kurdish activists and opposition media from Turkey also claimed that the YPG attacked Turkish military outposts in Kobani. However, the YPG denied this