Speaking to the ruling-AK Party's provincial chairmans during a meeting in Ankara on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarks over France's backing to YPG/PKK in northern Syria, and underlining that Turkey very saddened by France's "completely wrong" approach regarding Syria.
Erdoğan said he was "extremely saddened" by France's position after Paris offered to mediate with the Syrian Democratic Forces dominated by the YPG deemed the Syrian off-shoot of PKK by Ankara.
"We are extremely saddened by France's... wrong stance on this issue," Erdoğan said during a speech in Ankara after French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that he hoped "a dialogue" could be established between Ankara and the YPG/PKK-dominated SDF.
Erdoğan also stressed in his speech that Turkey had no intention to harm soldiers of allied nations, but could not allow militants to roam free.
Turkish president announced that they had started preparations to clear Syria's Ayn al-Arab, Rasalain, Tel Abyad of militants until Syria's border with Iraq.
TURKEY MAY ENTER IRAQ'S SINJAR "SUDDENLY ONE NIGHT" - ERDOĞAN
Turkish forces could enter Sinjar, Iraq 'all of a sudden' to deal with the terrorists there, Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan added Ankara determined to remove terrorists from Iraq and fully end their activities
TURKEY TO THWART ECONOMIC GAMES AGAINST IT
Turkey will thwart games being played against it with high economic growth in 2018, Erdoğan said in a statement by slaming credit rating agencies over reports against Turkey's economy.
Turkey's president on Friday criticized credit rating agencies for trying to derail Turkey's economy.
"You know how credit rating agencies reported against our country and how they are struggling to not let global capital come to Turkey," Erdoğan told a meeting of provincial chairs of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
Erdoğan's remarks in the capital Ankara came one day after the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced Turkey's economy grew 7.4 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.
The president reiterated that Turkey's banner growth last year put it at the top of G20 countries.
"I hope such a result will be a lesson to everyone at a time when credit rating agencies' grade games and currency speculations have reached a peak," Erdoğan said.
The president also called on businessmen and markets to trust Turkey, saying it can overcome problems and realize economic targets with its opportunities and potential.
TURKEY TO PURSUE FETO MEMBERS THROUGHOUT WORLD
He reiterated that they would 'pursue' terror group FETO after 6 alleged senior members brought to Turkey from the Balkans
AT LEAST 3,800 YPG/PKK AND DAESH TERRORISTS NEUTRALIZED IN AFRIN
End of the his speech, Erdoğan concluded his remarks with Afrin offensive comments, saying that a total of 3,800 terrorists had been neutralized since start of Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin.
