Ankara will not allow the PKK/PYD to be supported and armed under the guise that the terror group is an "operational partner", Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a session of the 178th Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense Session at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Akar said: "We cannot and will not allow the terrorist organization, YPG, which has been proven as an extension of the PKK, to be supported and armed under the guise of it being an ‘operational partner’."
The military chief's remarks came following an announcement made by the U.S.-led international coalition against Daesh on Sunday that it would establish a 30,000-strong new border security force with the SDF -- the U.S.-backed group, largely controlled and manned by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria.
"We expect [them] to reverse the mistake as soon as possible," Akar said.
He said NATO should not "discriminate" among terrorist organizations in the fight against terrorism.
He added the fight against the PKK/PYD terror group is as "important" as the fight against Daesh.
The PKK/PYD is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.
The PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, leading to the deaths of more than 40,000 security forces and civilians.
