Erdogan: US Must Choose Between Turkey or 'Terrorist' Kurds in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is fuming. His grand vision for Syria is crumbling before his eyes.

Worse still, the Kurds have carved out strongholds in northern Syria -- and sending Turkish troops in would risk serious blow back from Russia and perhaps even Iran (which still has somewhat cordial relations with Ankara).

In his latest act of desperation, Erdogan has demanded that his NATO overlord choose between Turkey or "the terrorists":

Erdoğan directed severe criticism at the visit to the town by Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama's special envoy for the anti-Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) coalition. The visit came at a time where Geneva peace talks were taking place, and the Turkish president declared that the US should make a choice between the PYD and Turkey.

Erdoğan has called on the US and the European Union to list the major Syrian Kurdish political party and its armed wing as terrorist organizations over their affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is fighting against the Turkish state and which is regarded as a terrorist group by Washington and Brussels.

"You accept the PKK as a terrorist organization? Then why don't you list the PYD and [People's Protection Units] YPG as terrorist organizations, too?" Erdoğan asked while speaking to reporters on Friday on board a plane en route to Turkey from a week-long Latin America tour.

What's next? Is he going to shoot down an American plane? Better get NATO permission first.

Source:

http://russia-insider.com/en/erdogan-cracks-us-must-choose-between-turkey-or-terrorist-kurds/ri12699