In his statement to AFP News Agency, Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun said: "Turkey will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts."
His statement is as follows:
“Turkey and the United States have been NATO allies for 67 years. Our troops fought, bled and died together in Korea, Afghanistan and other parts of the world. Most recently, our two nations joined forces as part of the global coalition against Daesh.
Turkey and the United States agree on the need to combat and prevent the resurgence of Daesh. The Obama administration, however, took a dangerous and unprecedented step to arm and train members of the terrorist organization PKK in an attempt to outsource the counter-Daesh campaign to a group responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Turkey.
When the Daesh territorial caliphate was eliminated in Syria, PKK militants used the same weapons to target innocent people in Turkey. We have been very open about this threat, urging the United States to stop the delivery of additional weapons and collect heavy weapons used in the fight against Daesh. In the end, we took steps to prevent additional casualties on Turkish soil.
The Turkish people are understandably confused. They question why the United States, our NATO ally, would refrain from supporting our counter-terrorism efforts. They wonder why America offers no remedy to the refugee crisis. They try to understand why Washington opposes the creation of a safe haven for refugees in northern Syria.
It is no secret that the careers of many U.S. officials, military and civilian, depend on the perpetuation of the Daesh threat in Syria. In recent days, we have seen U.S. officials use their official powers to spread fake news about the situation in northern Syria and cover up crimes committed by the PKK’s Syrian offshoot. In addition to releasing thousands of Daesh prisoners from detention centers, the group deliberately targeted civilians, including reporters, near the Turkish-Syrian border before striking a dirty deal with the Assad regime.
Turkey has been completely transparent about its efforts in northern Syria. We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts. We urge all parties to look past biased media reports and fake news to appreciate Turkey’s role as a bulwark against global terror.”