28 July 2022; MEMO: Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticised US Central Command, CENTCOM, for issuing a condolence message published on Sunday after the killing of Salwa Yusuk, the Deputy Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Along with two fellow female fighters, she was killed in an attack near Qamishli, Syria, on 22 July.
"What US Central Command has done is unacceptable," said Cavusoglu during an interview on Turkiye's TV100. "It is a good example of US hypocrisy in the war against terrorism."
When asked about the American and Russian position on the possible Turkish military operation in northern Syria, he said that neither country has fulfilled their promises to expel terrorists from the region. "This indicates their lack of sincerity about fighting terrorism."
The Turkish minister added that his country had previously held talks with Iran regarding the expulsion of terrorists from the region. "We will provide all kinds of political support for the [Syrian] regime's work in this regard," Cavusoglu insisted. "It is the natural right of the [Syrian] regime to remove the terrorist organisation from its territory, but it is not right for the [regime] to view moderate opposition as terrorists."
Regarding the attack on the Turkish Consulate General in Mosul, the minister stressed the need for Iraq to protect diplomatic representatives in accordance with the Vienna Convention. "Terrorist organisations pose a threat to Turkish diplomatic missions, and the Iraqi administration cannot combat these organisations effectively." Tuesday's attack in Mosul is part of the kind of harassment and provocation that goes on to this day, he concluded.
