By George Gilson
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu used a presser in Ankara with visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia to unleash a sharp attack on US President Joe Biden.
The statements were yet another strong indication that US-Turkey relations have reached a nadir.
Biden ‘supporting terrorist organisation’
Cavusoglu blasted the US president over his letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer explaining that his decision to issue an executive order extending national emergency powers on dealing with Syria is based on Turkey’s military operations in northern Syria, which he said undermines the fight against the Islamic State.
Cavusoglu declared that, “Instead of blaming Turkey they [the US] should abandon their wrong-headed policies. They [the Biden administration] should be more honest with the American people and Congress.”
He asserted that Turkey is battling the PKK in northern Syria, which the US has included in a list of terrorist organisations.
“They know very well that there is no difference between the PKK and YPG (the mainly Kurdish People’s Defence Units militia) and they are strongly supporting the terrorist organisation, which is a crime under American law,”
‘Turkey undermining fight against Islamic State in Syria
Biden in his October 7 letter pulled no punches in slamming Turkey for undermining efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Syria.
«The situation in and in relation to Syria, and in particular the actions by the Government of Turkey to conduct a military offensive into northeast Syria, undermines the campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,» the letter read.
«The ongoing crisis continues to endanger civilians and further threatens to undermine the peace, security and stability in the region while still posing an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
“For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13894 of 14 October, 2019, must continue in effect beyond 14 October 2021. Therefore … I am continuing for one year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13894 with respect to the situation in and in relation to Syria.»
