10 PKK members to be extradited to Turkey

[Anthea]

Erdogan threatens rivals

The Turkish opposition is talking about secret training camps that belong to the SADAT private military contractor in Anatolia

There has been a heated - if not relatively horrifying - debate among the Turkish public for a little over two weeks, including politicians, the media, and the people. The leader of the Republican People's Party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has been mainly talking about the militias that he said: "Erdoğan has been using and continues to use in dangerous operations domestically and abroad."

The militias Kılıçdaroğlu is talking about are mainly ones that are backed by the SADAT International Defense Consultancy Incorporated, founded and owned by retired General Adnan Tanrıverdi, who was Erdoğan's chief security and military advisor from August 2016 until January 2021.

Kılıçdaroğlu, who held a press conference in front of the headquarters of SADAT a few days ago, as he was denied entry, voiced his concern over the firm's activities at home and abroad, including Erdoğan trying to benefit domestically from the firm's militias in case he suffers from a loss in the upcoming elections.

The concerns addressed by Kılıçdaroğlu were also addressed by the chairperson of the İYİ Parti (the Good Part), Meral Akşener. She underlined the issue of covert SADAT training camps in various cities of Anatolia. Kılıçdaroğlu showed no hesitation to delve into the specifics and the dangerous activities of the PMC, whose goal, according to founder and owner Tanrıverdi, is to "get rid of the secular Turkish Republic and establish an Islamic confederation that includes, besides Turkey, other regional Islamic countries [...] and they must believe in President Erdoğan's ideologies," without naming which countries he meant.

As the aforementioned debate unfolds and intensifies regarding SADAT's goals, aspirations, and plans, both in Turkey and abroad, retired Admiral Türker Ertürk said its activities were "highly dangerous," expecting the PMC to have a perilous role if Erdoğan loses the upcoming election.

The firm, Ertürk said, is dangerously operating in Syria, Libya, and Somalia. "It is training militants on all armed activity, including explosions, ambushes, assassinations, guerilla warfare, and all kinds of terrorist operations, including civil war."

The retired Admiral did not shy away from shining the light on his concerns that the firm could be responsible for transporting thousands of Afghan nationals from the Iranian borders to Turkey, all of whom are between 20-30 years old. "The contractor could consider using these young people in dangerous operations domestically and abroad after training them for combat and terrorist operations."

Erdogan could use the militias "armed and trained by SADAT," Turkish journalist, academic, and strategic affairs expert Erol Mütercimler said. "Most importantly, this firm has close ties with all armed groups in Syria, Libya, and other countries in the region. [SADAT] transported all arms and military equipment to [the groups] after purchasing them from third countries, including Serbia, Hungary, and Ukraine. All of this happened without oversight from the Turkish authorities, despite the Turkish constitution prohibiting any party from carrying out any acts of sabotage against a neighboring country."

Turkish journalist Cengiz Erding held President Erdoğan "responsible for the Syrian crisis since it started." He said SADAT had a pivotal role in terms of military activity in Syria, "including training the Syrian armed groups, from the Free Syrian Army to the Sultan Murad Division, the majority of whose militants are Turkmen, and the Sultan Abdulhamid Han Brigade, among others."

Retired Major General Haldun Solmaztür saw that the firm's activities "posed a danger to Turkey and the region." Through the ties that SADAT has behind closed doors in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, "it would not hesitate to strike Turkey's internal security in light of the complex situation in Syria, especially in Idlib, which is a hotbed for the Al-Nusra Front and all of its factions, who are under the protection of the Turkish Army to prevent the Syrian Army from liberating the city."

He also addressed the fact that this would push many to talk about the possibility of Ankara utilizing the terrorists in Turkey against Erdoğan's opponents.

The Turkish public is continuously talking about how the president would not allow for elections to be held in June 2023 without being certain of their outcome. "Otherwise, he will postpone them for security issues in Turkey or abroad, and he will use SADAT for this plan."

The public acknowledges that Erdoğan could use militias to "terrorize the Turkish people and prevent them from taking to the streets if the elections were to be fraudulent and he emerged as President under a decision from the High Electoral Committee, the supreme authority in that area, and its decisions are indisputable."

Others have previously addressed the possibility of Ankara utilizing the armed groups in the case of confrontations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey or the North of Syria, as the Turkish Armed Forces are in control of the Syria-Turkey border, backed by the National Front for Liberation founded in Ankara in October 2019.

In light of the talk regarding the ties between the Turkish regime and SADAT, Erdoğan wanted to absolve himself and instead made matters worse. "I have no ties to SADAT International Defense Consultancy Incorporated," he claimed, despite his former chief advisor, who held his post for more than three years. Erdoğan's opposition also published photos showing the firm's owner standing next to the president during meetings on security and the military within the presidential palace in Ankara.

In conclusion, the opposition is accusing the firm of "carrying out dangerous operations that serve President Erdoğan and his plans in Syria, Libya, Somalia, Iraq, and the various countries of the region since the so-called 'Arab Spring', which rendered Turkey a pivotal element in the regional and international arenas." It is now clear that the firm has a hand in some - if not all - of Ankara's successes, in coordination with the Turkish state apparatuses and under "the direct instructions of President Erdoğan," as per Ankin Ozkog, the Vice President of the Republican People's Party.

https://english.almayadeen.net/articles ... -civil-war

[Anthea]

Erdogan says Turkey will start new military operations along its southern borders to establish 30 km deep safe zones

[Anthea]

Turkey Raises Demands

On Tuesday, Turkey said that the aim is to secure through these demands the severing of Sweden's relations with groups connected to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara, the European Union and the United States have blacklisted as a terrorist group

Turkey demands that Sweden end political support for terrorism, eliminate the source of funding for terrorism, stop supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party with arms, as well as lift embargoes and sanctions against Turkey and engage in global efforts against terrorism.

Ahead of Turkey's list of demands, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged that the country's national interests be respected and that NATO allies take real steps to address Turkey's pressing concerns. In this vein, the president also warned against NATO expansion, which he said will benefit neither Turkey nor the bloc in general.

Erdogan further referred to the sanctions imposed on Turkey, saying that "there is no way we can put aside the issue of Sweden's sanctions against [Turkey]. There is no reasonable explanation for them."

According to media reports, Ankara has specifically called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Turkey following its decision to purchase the S-400 anti-aircraft defense system from Russia, after the U.S. stalled talks on the sale of its Patriot systems.

Earlier, Turkey held up the launching of NATO discussions necessary to approve Sweden's and Finland's applications, which were submitted on May 15. The Turkish president demanded that the Nordic countries recognize the PKK as a terrorist group, however, both states refused to accept this demand.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Tur ... -0012.html

[Anthea]

Fears over what Sweden will cede

Sweden hopes to strike a compromise with Turkey to seal its NATO membership bid, but fears are mounting in the Scandinavian country that the government may sacrifice too much to get what it wants

"If you want to sell everything for NATO membership, then go ahead but I think it's awful", blasted Amineh Kakabaveh, a Swedish lawmaker of Iranian Kurdish origin.

"It's awful that everything depends on NATO membership, rushing it through and undermining democracy," she told AFP in an interview.

A former Left Party member sitting in parliament as an independent since 2019, she played a pivotal role in the election of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in November 2021, providing the decisive vote in parliament.

Like Kakabaveh, other prominent Swedes have in recent weeks urged the government not to cave in to Turkey's demands.

"Let's not fall into Erdogan's trap", argued an op-ed signed by 17 cultural and literary figures in Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter this week, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Any NATO membership deal must be unanimously approved by all 30 members of the alliance.

But Turkey has refused to agree to the opening of negotiations with Stockholm.

Among other things Ankara accuses it of providing a safe haven for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a "terrorist" group by Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkey on Monday published a list of five demands for Sweden, including the extradition of people Ankara considers "terrorists" for having links to the PKK and its allies in Syria, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

- 'Widespread support for Kurdish cause'-

According to Turkish media, other people on the list include journalists whom Ankara accuses of having ties to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based preacher wanted over a failed 2016 coup in Turkey.

Two of them, Abdullah Bozkurt and Levent Kenez, said that finding themselves caught in a power struggle between Ankara and Stockholm "didn't come as a surprise".

"We were actually joking a month before Sweden decided to apply for membership in NATO. We said 'If they do, our names are perhaps going to come up on the bargaining table'. And that is exactly what happened," Bozkurt told AFP.

The pair, who started the news site Nordic Monitor, are convinced their lives would be in danger if they were extradited to Turkey.

They said they were confident the Swedish judiciary would not bow to pressure and would continue to reject Ankara's demands for their extradition.

But they did express concern about their safety in Sweden.

Bozkurt was attacked by three masked men in 2020. A police investigation is still ongoing.

Kenez said "the biggest risk" was that pro-government media outlets publish their pictures "and that endangers our security here."

Sweden and Turkey began diplomatic talks in Ankara on Wednesday.

The two countries have had thorny ties for years, with the Kurdish question one of their main bones of contention.

While Sweden was one of the first countries to recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation in the 1980s, there is "political and widespread popular support for 'the Kurdish cause', including parliamentarians on both sides of the aisle", said Paul Levin, head of the Institute for Turkey Studies at Stockholm University.

- Moment of truth -

The Scandinavian country has welcomed around 100,000 Kurds from Turkey, Iran and Iraq since the 1970s.

"A lot of Kurds see Sweden as a second home," said Linnaeus University researcher Barzoo Eliassi, an expert on the diaspora.

Sweden has been governed by the Social Democrats for the better part of the post-war period and has been strongly influenced by the party's fight for international solidarity.

It has historically provided a safe haven for dissidents and those fleeing oppression, in addition to championing issues like human rights and feminism.

Now, it finds itself faced with 'realpolitik'.

Eliassi said the negotiations with Turkey will show "Sweden's real face" and will reveal "what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable".

One of the sticking points is sure to be the YPG in Syria.

Ankara views the YPG, which fought against the Islamic State group in Syria with Western support, as the PKK's Syria offshoot.

Having applied to NATO to protect itself from Russian aggression, Sweden now has to contend with another strong power -- just four months ahead of a general election.

"If they give in even before joining NATO, I think it will be counterproductive and it will undermine the very reason that they wanted to join the alliance in the first place", said Bozkurt.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/27052022

[Anthea]

Erdogan: NATO Talks Unsuccessful

Over the course of last week, negotiations were held concerning the candidatures of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in which a concensus was not reached, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

"Unfortunately, the talks held by our delegation with Finland and Sweden did not reach the desired level," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency.

The Turkish leader also claimed that neither Sweden nor Finland have taken the necessary steps on Ankara's demands, and stressed that terrorists are still walking the streets of Stockholm under Swedish protection

"We cannot repeat the mistakes made in the past by admitting countries that embrace and nurture these terrorists into NATO, which is a security organization," the president emphasized.

President #Erdogan says Turkey’s talks last week with #Finnish and #Swedish delegations were not at the “expected level” and Ankara cannot say yes to “terrorism-supporting” countries entering NATO, state broadcaster TRT Haber reports.https://t.co/xHdMJChC5i
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 29, 2022

The military operation launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24 last forced Finland and Sweden to rethink their traditional policy of neutrality and swayed public opinion in favor of NATO membership, subsequently, submitting their applications to join NATO on May 18.

Their membership is opposed by Ankara, demanding that Helsinki and Stockholm withdraw support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, outlawed in Turkey for terrorist activity), and the restrictions on arms sales they imposed following Turkey's 2019 offensive on Kurdish YPG militias in northern Syria.

On May 25, Turkey hosted consultations in Ankara with delegations from both countries on their NATO candidacies. To join the Atlantic Alliance, Finland and Sweden need to seek unanimous approval from all 30 member states.

On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to hold a telephone conversation with Erdogan on Monday, May 30, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Erdogan earlier conveyed his intention to hold a conversation on May 30 with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Erd ... -0015.html

[Anthea]

Turkey’s inflation is 73.5%

Annual inflation in Turkey hit 73.5% in May, the highest rate since 1998, according to official data released Friday as a cost-of-living crisis in the country deepens

The Turkish Statistical Institute said the rate represented an increase of almost 70% from the month before. Consumer prices were up nearly 3% from April, the institute reported.

While many countries are seeing rising consumer prices, critics blame Turkey’s problems on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic policies.

The Turkish leader insists that high borrowing costs cause inflation - a position that contradicts established economic thinking - and advocates lowering interest rates to boost growth and exports.

Turkey’s central bank has cut rates by 5 percentage points since September, to 14% before pausing them in January. The Turkish lira lost 44% of its value against the U.S. dollar last year.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to a surge in gas, oil and grain prices, has compounded the situation in import-reliant Turkey.

The sharpest increases in annual prices were in the transportation sector, at 107.6%, followed by food and non-alcoholic drinks prices at 91.6%, according to the statistical institute’s data.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/03062022

[Anthea]

Turkey official name Türkiye

Turkey’s government has sent a letter to the United Nations formally requesting that it be referred to as Türkiye, the state-run news agency has reported

The move is seen as part of a push by Ankara to rebrand the country and dissociate it from the bird of the same name and negative connotations associated with it.

Anadolu Agency said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson to UN secretary general António Guterres, confirmed receipt of the letter from Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Turkish foreign minister. The agency quoted Dujarric as saying that the name change had become effective “from the moment” the letter was received. Dujarric told the Washington Post: “It is not uncommon for us to receive such requests.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government has been pressing for the internationally recognised name Turkey to be changed to Türkiye (tur-key-YAY) as it is spelled and pronounced in Turkish. The country called itself Türkiye in 1923 after its declaration of independence.

In December 2021, Erdoğan ordered the use of Türkiye to better represent Turkish culture and values, including demanding that “Made in Türkiye” be used instead of “Made in Turkey” on exported products. Turkish ministries also began using Türkiye in official documents.

The government this year released a promotional video as part of its attempts to change its name in English. The video shows tourists from across the world saying “Hello Türkiye” at famous destinations.

The Turkish presidency’s directorate of communications said it launched the campaign “to promote more effectively the use of ‘Türkiye’ as the country’s national and international name on international platforms”.

It was not clear whether the name, with a letter that doesn’t exist in the English alphabet, will catch on widely abroad. In 2016, the Czech Republic officially registered its short-form name, Czechia, and while some international institutions use it, many still refer to the country by its longer name.

Turkey’s English-language state broadcaster TRT World has switched to using Türkiye although the word Turkey slips in, used by journalists still trying to get used to the change.

TRT World explained the decision in an article earlier this year, saying Googling “Turkey” brings up a “a muddled set of images, articles, and dictionary definitions that conflate the country with Meleagris – otherwise known as the turkey, a large bird native to North America – which is famous for being served on Christmas menus or Thanksgiving dinners.”

The network continued: “Flip through the Cambridge Dictionary and ‘turkey’ is defined as ‘something that fails badly’ or ‘a stupid or silly person’.”

TRT World argued that Turks prefer their country to be called Türkiye, in “keeping with the country’s aims of determining how others should identify it”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... -the-birds

[Anthea]

Turkish lira nears historic lows

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on cutting interest rates even as inflation soars, and the lira continues to slide

The Turkish lira continued to plunge against the dollar on Wednesday, putting pressure on the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who insists on cutting interest rates even as inflation soars.

The lira shed 2% against the dollar and traded at 17.1 versus the greenback this afternoon, not far off the historic lows of more than 18 witnessed in December.

"The pressure continues to mount on the Turkish lira," said Fawad Razaqzada, Forex.com analyst, in a note to clients.

"President Tayyip Erdogan has once again vowed to continue slashing interest rates despite annual inflation running at more than 70 percent," the analyst wrote, asking if the lira would still fall in the near future to 20, and adding, "Investors are also concerned that rising oil prices will just add to Turkey's inflation misery."

The Turkish president insisted on Monday that his government was opposed to higher interest rates even as inflation is soaring to its highest level in almost 25 years.

"This government will not hike interest rates. On the contrary, it will reduce them," he said.

Official data showed that Turkey's inflation rose in May to its highest level since 1998, reaching 73.5% on an annual basis.

The Turkish economy has become out of control since last year when President Erdogan put pressure on the central bank to start persuing the policy of low-interest rates.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/eco ... ides-again

[Anthea]

Turkey seeks extradition

Turkey said on Wednesday it will renew demand from Sweden and Finland to extradite over 30 Turkish nationals who are wanted for alleged terror links but live in both Nordic countries which on Tuesday made compromises to Ankara in return of its support to for their NATO membership

Weeks after both Sweden and Finland made bids to enter NATO following the Russia-Ukraine war, they finally reached an agreement with Turkey on Tuesday to support their membership in the security alliance which makes its decisions by consensus. Ankara had initially rejected the Scandinavian countries’ bids for their alleged support to Kurdish fighters.

Turkey published a list of five demands in late May for Sweden and Finland in return of its support for their bids, including the extradition of “terrorists” who have links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its alleged Syrian offshoots - People’s Protection Units (YPG) and its political arm, Democratic Union Party (PYD) - as well as Fethullah Gulen - a Turkish cleric who lives in the US and is accused of orchestrating 2016 failed coup attempt against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Bekir Bozdag, Turkish justice minister, told reporters in Ankara on Wednesday that they will “remind” Sweden and Finland that Turkey expects them to extradite 33 people who are wanted by Turkish security forces for terror charges.

“The files are waiting: for six PKK members and six FETO members in Finland; 10 FETO and 11 PKK members in Sweden,” the minister was quoted by state media as saying, using a derogatory term for Gulen’s Hizmet Movement.

“After the memorandum, we will rewrite and remind about their extradition,” he added.

As per the memorandum, Sweden and Finland will address Turkey’s “pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously,” according to Turkish state media. Both Nordic countries also agreed to refrain from supporting the PKK, PYD and YPG.

PKK is an armed group which claims to struggle for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, US and the European Union. The YPG is the backbone of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which controls Western Kurdistan.

The SDF has said it has not received any support from Sweden. However, Stockholm has supported the Kurdish administration in Syria politically by welcoming its officials at the foreign ministry building several times and providing indirect humanitarian support worth tens of millions of dollars. Ann Linde, Sweden’s foreign minister, told her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in 2020 that Turkey must withdraw from Rojava, angering him.

Elham Ahmed, president of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the SDF, told Russian state media in an interview aired earlier this month that they enjoy very good relations with Sweden.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/290620222

[Anthea]

Türkiye Renews Extradition Requests

On Wednesday, Türkiye renewed its extradition requests for "terror suspects" with Finland and Sweden, following a deal it made with the Nordic countries for their NATO bid

"Today we have renewed some requests that were rejected before and reminded them of some requests that were not responded to," Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said, adding that the two countries previously did not respond to any of Türkiye's extradition requests for "terror suspects" although they were in line with both the international and bilateral agreements.

"Within the framework of the agreement signed between Türkiye, Sweden, and Finland at the latest NATO summit, a monitoring committee was established," he said.

Their accession process to NATO was initially blocked by Türkiye, which accused the Nordic countries of "supporting" anti-Turkey terrorist groups as they rejected Türkiye's extradition requests for suspects affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the EU, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over three decades.

The Gulen movement is led by the U.S.-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is regarded by his followers as a spiritual leader. The Turkish government accused the movement of masterminding the 2016 failed coup in which at least 250 people were killed.

On June 28, Türkiye, Sweden and Finland agreed on a memorandum of understanding before Ankara lifted its veto ahead of the NATO Madrid summit. In the memorandum, Finland and Sweden pledged to support Türkiye's fight against terrorism, and agreed to address Türkiye's "pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously and thoroughly."

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Tur ... -0010.html

[Anthea]

PKK members sent to Turkey

Sweden has made a list of 10 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members to extradite to Turkey following the signature of a memorandum in Madrid

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said earlier in the week that Ankara had sent a written request to Finland and Sweden to extradite members of the PKK and the organization of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen (FETO) that Turkey deems terrorist.

The Swedish Ministry of Justice told RIA Novosti that there are no official documents related to Ankara's demand to extradite the members of organizations deemed terrorist in this Republic. Between 2019 and 2022, the Swedish government approved three of Ankara's 16 extradition applications.

After the memorandum was signed, however, signs that the process was speeding up emerged. As per TRT Haber, the first of these signs appeared in the Swedish media. Reports say that the Swedish security service had prepared a list of 10 PKK members to be extradited.

It's worth mentioning that on May 18, Finland and Sweden submitted their applications to join NATO, abandoning their neutrality policies, implying a shift in the security situation in Europe. Turkey, however, blocked the process due to the two countries' continuous support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has, for long, conducted terrorist activities against Turkey.

Later, on June 28, after months of liberations, Turkey, Finland, and Sweden sign a memorandum that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance.

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Tuesday that Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden's joint membership of NATO, on the first day of the alliance's summit in the Spanish capital Madrid.

Niinisto said the breakthrough came after the three countries signed a joint memorandum "to extend their full support against threats to each other’s security."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, "I am pleased to announce that we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO."

However, in exchange for allowing the two Nordic nations to join NATO, what did Turkey get?

Following the signing of the memorandum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office considered that "Turkey got what it wanted" from Sweden and Finland before agreeing to back their drives to join the NATO alliance. It was a long list of demands, including an agreement to "cooperate fully with Turkey in its fight against the PKK" and other Kurdish militant groups, as well as an agreement to fully cooperate with Turkey on the deportation and extradition of suspects Turkey deems terrorist.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... e-to-turke

[Anthea]

Erdogan renews threat

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday renewed his threat to "freeze" the NATO membership bids of both Sweden and Finland unless the military alliance complies with Ankara's conditions

At a NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June, Erdogan called on the two countries to "do their part" in the fight against terrorism, and accused them of providing a haven for outlawed Kurdish militants.

Speaking Monday, the eve of three-way summit with Russia and Iran, Erdogan told reporters; "I want to reiterate once again that we will freeze the process if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfil our conditions".

"We particularly note that Sweden does not have a good image on this issue," the Turkish leader added.

Earlier this month NATO kicked off the accession procedures for Sweden and Finland after a deal was struck with Turkey, which had blocked the Nordic nations from joining.

Erdogan has accused both countries of being havens for Kurdish militants, specifically highlighting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) he has sought to crush, and for promoting "terrorism".

He is due to board a plane to Tehran on Monday evening for talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi, from whom he hopes to get the green light for armed intervention in northwest Syria.

Ankara has been threatening since late May to launch an operation to create a 30-kilometre (19-mile) "security zone" along its border to tackle Kurdish fighters waging an insurgency against the Turkish state.

Both Tehran and Moscow have already expressed their opposition to such an offensive.

Russia, Turkey and Iran are all major players in the war that has ravaged Syria since 2011, with Moscow and Tehran supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad and Ankara supporting rebels.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/18072022