Turkish opposition reprimands US arming of terrorists

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

The head of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on Tuesday offered condolences to those affected by recent attacks in the U.S. while criticizing Washington for supplying arms to terrorists arrayed against Turkey.

Devlet Bahceli condemned attacks in New York and Texas in a speech to his party’s lawmakers. “I convey my condolences to the American people for these atrocious attacks,” he said.

However, he turned his criticism to the U.S. over its support for the PKK/PYD in Syria.

“Since the U.S. sees terrorism as a threat… how will the U.S. explain the weapons, which were used by the traitors that martyred the youths of our country… that were of U.S. origin?”

He added: “What are U.S.-made weapons doing in the hands of the PKK?”

The U.S. has been supplying arms to the PKK/PYD in Syria since earlier this year.

Washington sees the group -- the Syrian affiliate of the PKK -- as an ally in the fight against Daesh.

Alongside Turkey, the U.S. and EU have also designated the PKK, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years, as a terror group.

Supporting government

On Thursday last week, nine members of Turkey’s security forces were martyred in counter-terrorism operations in Hakkari, which lies on the borders of Iraq and Iran.

Attacks in New York City and Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Tuesday and Sunday last week left 34 people dead.

Backing the government’s counter-terror policies, Bahceli added: “We are on the side of the state in this process. We are the supporter of the elected government.”

Bahceli also criticized the U.S. for “protecting the head of a terrorist organization, Fetullah Gulen, who is the killer of 250 martyrs, on his ranch in Pennsylvania.”

Gulen is the head of the terrorist organization behind last year’s attempted coup in Turkey, which resulted in 250 deaths.

He has lived in the U.S. since 1999 and Turkish efforts to have him extradited have so far failed.

“The U.S ignores criminals, traitors and coup-plotters,” Bahceli said.