Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused the Syrian-based Kurdish YPG militia of being behind Wednesday’s deadly bombing in Ankara
ADVERTISEMENTTurkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused the Syrian-based Kurdish YPG militia of being behind Wednesday’s deadly bombing in Ankara.
Davutoglu named the perpetrator as Salih Necar, a Syrian national and member of the YPG People’s Protection Units. Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
The prime minister added: “I won’t give details now on where they come from and how they were organised, but we have all the information and will share it with all countries. I will give the order to the Foreign Ministry today to distribute all related documentation, giving priority to the P5 Security Council countries. We will show those who say the YPG is not a terrorist organisation. Then we expect to receive indisputable solidarity in return.”
He insisted that the faction is a terrorist group.
Last week, Turkey lashed out at the US for refusing to recognise the YPG’s political wing — the PYD Democratic Union Party — as an extremist organisation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists the PYD is involved in the Ankara bombing, despite its denials.
“We are completely refuting that,” party leader Saleh Muslim told Reuters news agency.
He also denied claims the YPG was firing into Turkey.
“I can assure you that not even one bullet is fired by YPG into Turkey,” said Muslim. “They don’t consider Turkey as an enemy.”
He claims instead that Turkey is trying to escalate the fighting in northern Syria.
Soldiers targeted?
Of the 28 who died in the Ankara bombing, 27 were soldiers. Dozens more were injured.
Turkish armed forces appear to have been the target of two attacks in as many days.
This morning (February 18) at least six soldiers were killed in an explosion appearing to target a military convoy near Diyarbakir, in the predominantly Kurdish south east of Turkey.
Following the blast, Turkish war planes bombed PKK Kurdistan Workers’ Party positions in Iraq.
Cemil Bayik, a top official in the outlawed militant organisation, which is based in Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan, had earlier said he had no knowledge of who was responsible for the Ankara attack.
However, he suggested the bombing could have been carried out in “retaliation for the massacres in Kurdistan.”