Ankara expects support of allies in fight against PKK

Ankara expects its allies' support in the fight against the PKK terror group similar to the support received while combatting against Daesh, Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Ömer Çelik said Tuesday.

In remarks made at the Turkey-EU Joint Advisory Committee meeting in southern Adana province, Çelik called on Turkey's allies to be consistent with respect to terrorist organizations.

"Some of our allies who supported us and declared their support for us in our fight against Daesh are not showing the same support in our fight against the PYD and the YPG, which are the PKK terrorist group's Syrian offshoots," he said.

He urged consistency in the fight against terrorist groups.

Çelik also criticized the fake news about civilian losses "while Turkey has been fighting [against terrorist groups]" during Operation Olive Branch in Syria's northwestern Afrin region.

"We have proved that those reports of civilian losses are all false."

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military also said only terror targets were being destroyed and that "utmost care" was being taken to not harm civilians.