Turkish president says Ankara to prevent establishment of Kurdish state in northern Syria

"If a Kurdish state is planned to be created in northern Syria, we will not allow it," Erdoğan said
Saturday, 08 July 2017 20:06

Ankara will not allow the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Saturday at the final press conference of G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg.

"If a Kurdish state is planned to be created in northern Syria, we will not allow it," Erdoğan said. He added that Ankara "would not tolerate threats to Turkey as well."

He also spoke against the U.S. arming Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria in order to combat Islamic State in Raqqa.

“We will never keep silent when support and arms are provided to terrorist organisations near our borders,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan also expressed hope that the initiators of the referendum on the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan would abandon this idea, adding that the territorial integrity of Iraq was very important for Turkey.