Turkey condemns EU Foreign Affairs Council decisions

Politics 12:22 15.10.2019
Turkey hit back on Oct. 14 at statements by the European Union on recent Turkish moves in northern Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean.
 
“We fully reject and condemn the calls made towards our country and the conclusions adopted in the EU Foreign Affairs Council today [on Oct. 14] in Luxembourg under the title of 'North East Syria' and 'Turkey's activities in the Eastern Mediterranean',” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
 
The ministry said Turkey's ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria is being carried out on the basis of international law, its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions on the fight against terrorism.
 
It is “unacceptable” for the bloc to take a protective attitude towards the terror elements behind the threats and attacks of the PYD/YPG terror group, an offshoot of the PKK, against Turkey's national security and Syria's territorial integrity and national solidarity, it said.
 
The ministry said the silence of the EU on the killing of 18 innocent civilians, including an infant, in the last two days in Turkey by the PYD/YPG -- which is supported by some EU countries -- shows this twisted approach.
 
It called on the EU, which “serves the separatist agenda of another terror group under the pretext of fighting Daesh [the arabic acronym of ISIL],” and the EU countries that support the terror group to engage in self-criticism.
 
The bloc has "no right to give lessons to our country" on the fight against terrorists, the statement read.
 
Stressing that Turkey hosts the highest number of refugees in the world, the ministry said the country will continue to resolutely fight terror groups that threaten its national security and the Syrian people's future, especially the PYD/YPG and ISIL.
 
It added that Turkey's ongoing operation is aimed at the formation of a safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border and returning the region to its owners. The ministry also said the operation will let displaced Syrians return home.
 
On the March 2016 refugee deal with the EU, the ministry said item nine of the deal obligates the EU and its member states to improve conditions for Syrians to live in safer areas of Syrian lands near the Turkish border.
 
The EU Foreign Affairs Council said on Oct. 14 that Turkey's security concerns in northeast Syria should be addressed through political and diplomatic means, not through military action.
 
The council said in a statement that Turkey should cease its anti-terror "Operation Peace Spring" in northeastern Syria and withdraw its forces.
 
Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.
 
Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.
 
The U.S.-backed SDF, a group dominated by the YPG, has been controlling some 28 percent of the Syrian territories, including the most of the 911-kilometer-long Syria-Turkey border. Turkey deems the YPG the Syrian offshoot of the illegal PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization also by the United States and the EU.
 
Turkey's activities in Eastern Mediterranean
 
The ministry also said it is unacceptable to characterize as "illegal" Turkey's research and drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean to protect both its rights and the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
 
The ministry said the EU's failure to mention Turkish Cypriots and once again ignoring them in the conclusions is “worrisome.”
 
“We would like to emphasize once again that we will resolutely carry on with our hydrocarbon activities together with the TRNC [Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] and, should the EU apply certain preventive measures, we will retaliate accordingly,” the ministry said.
 
Forging peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean is possible by creating an environment of cooperation in which every party wins, respecting Turkey and Turkish Cypriots' legitimate rights and interests and taking the political, legal, historical and geographical realities of the Eastern Mediterranean into consideration.
 
“We will seriously reconsider our cooperation with the EU in certain areas due to its unlawful and biased stance,” it added.
 
Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration's unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that the TRNC also has rights to the resources in the area.
 
Since this spring, Ankara has sent two drilling vessels -- Fatih and Yavuz -- to the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting Turkey and the TRNC's right to the region's resources.

 

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

Palestinian man shot dead after stabbing Israeli soldier during West Bank raid
21:20 10.07.2025
Israel has agreed to 'significant steps' to improve humanitarian situation in Gaza: EU foreign policy chief
21:00 10.07.2025
EU aims to mobilize up to $11.7B in investments for Ukraine's reconstruction
20:45 10.07.2025
UNAIDS warns funding collapse could lead to 6M new HIV infections, 4M deaths
20:30 10.07.2025
UN report sounds alarm on climate health risks for world's aging population
20:00 10.07.2025
Merz: Germany fully supports Ukraine's plans to join EU
19:45 10.07.2025
Azerbaijani citizens involved in Wagner armed group arrested - State Security Service conducts operation
19:15 10.07.2025
Luka Modric signs one-year contract with Milan
19:00 10.07.2025
Rubio: US hopes to persuade NATO allies to transfer some Patriot systems to Ukraine
18:45 10.07.2025
Zelenskyy: 200 agreements with total value of over €10B ready to be signed
18:30 10.07.2025
Von der Leyen's EU Commission survives Parliament confidence vote
18:15 10.07.2025
SOCAR becomes jersey sponsor of Turkish First League side
18:00 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan takes leading postion in UN digital trade survey
17:45 10.07.2025
Ex-NBA player Ben McLemore sentenced to over 8 years in prison for rape
17:30 10.07.2025
Russia warns Armenia of sanctions risk
17:15 10.07.2025
COP29 President, COP30 President-designate hold discussions at OPEC seminar
17:00 10.07.2025
Ilham Aliyev's meeting with Nikol Pashinyan was constructive
16:55 10.07.2025
Baku says Azerbaijan, Armenia agreed to continue dialogue in bilateral format
16:45 10.07.2025
Peskov: Baku-Yerevan peace treaty will bring stability to South Caucasus
16:30 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan refunds over 94M manats of VAT to consumers
16:15 10.07.2025
Amnesty International slams US sanctions on UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
16:00 10.07.2025
China pushes back 50% US 'security' tariffs on copper imports
15:45 10.07.2025
Top Southeast Asian diplomats hold summit with China’s foreign minister
15:30 10.07.2025
Israeli strikes on Gaza leave 97 Palestinians killed, dozens more injured in past day
15:15 10.07.2025
Messi creates history in MLS, becomes first player to achieve rare feat
15:00 10.07.2025
Heavy rain delays over 300 flights in New Delhi
14:45 10.07.2025
Shamakhi to host conference on Modern Information Space and Freedom of Religious Belief
14:30 10.07.2025
At least 28 killed, dozens injured in pre-dawn Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip
14:15 10.07.2025
Court orders arrest of former South Korean president
14:00 10.07.2025
US nuclear-powered submarine makes first port call in Iceland
13:45 10.07.2025
Israeli soldier killed during attempted Hamas abduction in southern Gaza, IDF says
13:30 10.07.2025
ADY and China Railways reach agreement to increase BTK capacity
13:15 10.07.2025
U.S. measles cases hit highest level in 33 years,
13:00 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia discuss co-op in hydrocarbon sector
12:45 10.07.2025
UK, France to order more Storm Shadow missiles, plan next-generation replacements
12:30 10.07.2025
Houthis kidnapped crew members of Eternity C vessel, US Embassy in Yemen says
12:15 10.07.2025
President Ilham Aliyev addresses participants of ICDO General Assembly session
12:00 10.07.2025
US to impose 50% tariffs on imports from Brazil starting August — Trump
11:45 10.07.2025
US resumes certain arms shipments to Ukraine
11:30 10.07.2025
SOCAR president participates in OPEC International Seminar
11:15 10.07.2025
Hamısı