Türkiye blasts PKK/YPG's 'unacceptable election' plans in Syria

from Daily Sabah

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on Monday blasted plans by the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian offshoot, the YPG, to conduct so-called local elections in the country’s north as “unacceptable” and a threat to Türkiye’s national security.

Türkiye considers the move as a step by the PKK/YPG toward achieving an “autonomous” status first in Syria before moving to the next stage of its plan: an independent state.

After decades of a bloody campaign for a so-called Kurdish state encompassing Türkiye and Iraq, the PKK strives for legitimacy in Syria’s north, notably with a so-called local election in the coming months in regions controlled by the PKK/YPG.

In a written reply to questions from The Associated Press (AP), Güler reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to establishing a secure corridor along its borders with Syria and Iraq to counter the threat posed by PKK/YPG terrorists.

The PKK/YPG terrorist group, which occupies northern and eastern parts of Syria, has announced plans to hold municipal elections on June 11. The vote to choose mayors will be held in the provinces of Hassakeh, Raqqa, Deir el-Zour and the eastern part of Aleppo province near the Turkish border. Residents in these regions, however, also reject the PKK/YPG’s plans, with dozens taking to the streets last week in protests...

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