Turkey Accuses US Of Backing Terrorists After 13 Turkish Killed In Iraq

Turkey has accused the United States of supporting Kurdish armed groups after 13 Turkish citizens were killed.

According to the foreign news agency Reuters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the statement issued by Washington condemning the killing of abducted officials in northern Iraq was a sham.

The Turkish president said in his first public comment since the deaths of 13 Turks, including military and police personnel that the US statement is a sham.

“You said you would not support terrorists, but in reality you stand by them and behind them,” he said, criticizing the State Department’s statement.

Turkey launched a military operation this month against the bases of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, in which the Turkish president said an operation was under way to free the hostages.

According to the Turkish Defense Minister, at least 48 members of the Kurdish armed group were also killed during the operation.

Turkish support for US support for Kurdish rebels in Syria

The US State Department said on Sunday that it was “saddened by the deaths of Turkish citizens but is awaiting further confirmation from Ankara to confirm the deaths of 13 officials”.

The PKK said 13 people were killed when Turkish forces bombed the cave where the men were being held.

It should be noted that Pakistan had strongly condemned the killing of 13 Turkish soldiers in a terrorist attack in northern Iraq’s Gara region.

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