Ankara is gravely concerned by photos of U.S. soldiers attending the funerals of YPG terrorists in the wake of Turkish airstrikes against PKK/YPG targets in Syria and northern Iraq, said Turkey's president Sunday.
"We are seriously concerned to see U.S. flags in a convoy that has YPG rags on it. We will mention these issues to President [Donald Trump] during our visit to the United States on May 16," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport before leaving for a two-day visit to India.
Erdoğan had been asked about photos said to show U.S. soldiers patrolling along the Turkish border and attending YPG terrorists' funerals.
"If we are against global terrorism, then we need to tell them [U.S.] about these issues. If we do not work together against terrorism, then tomorrow it will strike at another ally," he added.
Erdoğan also said that Turkey will continue operations against the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoots the PYD and YPG, the PYD's armed wing, similar to strikes earlier this week on Mt. Sinjar in northern Syria and Syria's Mt. Karacok.
"We may come overnight, all of a sudden," Erdoğan reiterated.
Forty terrorists were killed at Iraq's Mt. Sinjar, and another 49 at Syria's Mt. Karacok in April 25 airstrikes by Turkish forces against the PKK and the PYD and YPG.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, and Turkey also considers its Syrian offshoot the PKK/PYD a terror group. However, the U.S. has called the PYD a key ally in the fight against Daesh in Syria.
The Turkish military said the strikes, which local governments as well as the U.S. and Russia were notified about in advance, were meant to prevent the PKK from sending terrorists, arms, ammunition, and explosives to Turkey.
