Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday called on NATO to take a stance against the United States, over its plans to form a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led border security force in Syria.
Addressing his ruling party's deputies in Ankara, Erdoğan said: "Hey NATO! You are obliged to make a stance against those who harass and violate the borders of your members."
He added that Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar is discussing the issue with his counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels, reiterating Turkey’s intention to launch a military operation in Afrin and Manbij in Syria.
NATO's headquarters described Turkey as "a highly valued ally" and said the alliance was committed to Turkey's defense. It said however that the alliance did not have a presence on the ground in Syria and that the matter was an issue for the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition.
AFRIN OPERATION TO BE CONDUCTED WITH MILITANT GROUPS
Speaking to reporters after his speech to party legislators, Erdoğan said Turkey would conduct the operation in Afrin with Turkish-backed militant groups in Syria. "This fight is for them. We are helping our brothers there so that they can protect their own territories," Erdoğan told reporters in parliament.
Asked whether he planned to discuss the Kurdish-led border force with U.S. President Donald Trump, Erdoğan said he had no plans to call the U.S. leader. "We discussed the issue before. He said he would get back to me. I won't call him as long as he does not get back to me," Erdoğan said.
