Erdogan warns of ‘heavy price’ for protests against Afrin operation
ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of a “heavy price” for protests against Turkey’s military operation against Syrian Kurdish militia, after the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) called on people to take to the streets.
“Some HDP representatives are calling on my Kurdish citizens to get out into the squares. Until now, not many people have come out,” Erdogan said in the northwestern province of Bursa.
“But let me say this here... Do not even think about it! There will be a heavy price to pay by those who respond to this call,” he added.
“This is a national fight. We will crush whoever opposes us in this national fight and go on.”
He earlier also hit out at the calls, telling the HDP that they were being watched.
“You will not be able to have a free hand. Hey HDP... hey PKK, wherever you come out, know this: our security forces will be breathing down your neck,” Erdogan vowed.
His warnings came a day after Turkey launched an operation with Syrian rebels to oust the Syrian Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) militia from Afrin.
Turkey views the YPG militia as “terrorists” linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighting against the Turkish state since 1984.
Ankara also often accuses the HDP of being a political front for the PKK, claims which the party strongly denies.
Also on Sunday, Assad condemned Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish militia in Afrin, saying it was part of Ankara’s support for extremist groups.
“The brutal Turkish aggression on the Syrian town of Afrin cannot be separated from the Turkish regime’s policy from the first day of Syria’s crisis, which was essentially built on supporting terrorism and terrorist organizations, whatever their names,” Assad said in statements carried by regime news agency SANA.
Since Syria’s conflict broke out in 2011, the regime has repeatedly slammed Ankara for its support of the opposition, accusing it of funding terrorist factions.
As Turkish threats of a potential attack escalated last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that Syria could shoot down Turkish warplanes used in an assault.
But the Damascus regime has also previously taken a hard line against the Kurdish authorities, which have implemented semi-autonomous institutions across parts of northern Syria, including Afrin.
On Saturday, a Foreign Ministry official denied claims by Turkish authorities that it had been informed of the Afrin offensive and called the attack “the latest move in Turkey’s attacks on Syria’s sovereignty.”