Turkey, unlike Kurds, not fighting Daesh: Analyst
Press TV has interviewed James Petras, a Middle East expert in New York, to discuss the recent accusation by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Kurds are trying to grab land in the region.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: What is your take about what Erdogan has said about not allowing Kurdish groups to take control of northern Syria?
Petras: I think Erdogan is talking out of place. The issue for many Syrians is the defeat of ISIS and the driving out of terrorists, of which the Kurdish Syrian population and particularly their militias have been especially effective. Erdogan has done virtually nothing to curtail the flow of terrorists across the border from Turkey into Syria.
I think the Kurds have every right to establish autonomous regions. I think they have every right to receive arms. I think they have demonstrated a capacity to engage in warfare against ISIS and in contrast, Erdogan has done virtually nothing to curtail the flow of arms and terrorist fighters from Chechnya, Pakistan and other countries who flock to Turkey because they know it is the easiest way to enter into Syria.
So I think most international opinion opposes Erdogan’s position even if, formally, they are not speaking out. I think the overwhelming opinion in Europe and even in Washington is that the Kurds in Syria are playing a very positive role and that their influence along the northern border is very positive in blocking the flow of terrorists from Turkey into Syria.
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