21 Dec 2022; MEMO: Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said his country does not need permission to carry out military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Defence Units (YPG) in northern Syria.
In remarks to the Italian Il Messaggero newspaper published yesterday, Akar said the PKK targets the security and safety of Turkish lands, adding that Ankara's military operations in northern Syria are based on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which gives Turkiye the right to defend itself.
He added that the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by NATO, the European Union and the United States, is working to deceive the international community by adopting different names.
Stressed on Turkiye's view that the YPG is PKK's Syrian extension, he called on Turkiye's allies to stop supporting the organisation, and to show solidarity with Ankara in combating it.
