Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Türkiye's NATO allies for their lacklustre support of the country's counterterrorism efforts against the PKK terrorist organisation.
"You can see that the weapons reluctantly given to our country by our allies are found in the (PKK) separatist terrorist organisation's shelters," Erdogan said in a statement following a Cabinet Meeting on Tuesday.
The statement echoed Erdogan's address to the NATO leaders' summit last week, marking the alliance's 75th anniversary, during which he condemned the relations some members have fostered with the PKK.
"We cannot accept the distorted relationship that some of our allies have established with the PYD-YPG, the Syrian extension of the PKK terrorist organisation," he said on X on Friday, urging a shift away from policies harming NATO's unity and integrity.
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
'We do not turn our back to the East'
In his address, Erdogan stressed that Türkiye "cannot be squeezed into a single bloc due to its geographical, human, economic, and historical ties."
“We cannot let others restrict us to their limited frameworks. We do not turn our back to the East in favour of the West, nor do we disregard the West in favour of the East.”
The Turkish president also called for peaceful resolutions to conflicts through negotiation and mutual dialogues, expressing that it is "beneficial to open the clenched fists."
On Israel's brutal war on Palestine's Gaza, now in its 284th day, Erdogan was unequivocal: "As long as Israel's policy of massacre, occupation, and genocide in Gaza and other Palestinian territories continues, we will not change our position on this country."
The president reaffirmed Türkiye's unwavering support for Palestine, adding that Israel and its allies "feed on blood, tears, and occupation."
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