Erdoğan comments over Mosul: ‘We are in the operation and on the table’
President Erdoğan is speaking at the first International Law Congress of İstanbul.
Highlights of Erdoğan’s speech: “I would like for this congress, which is being held for the first time, to reach a broader international level. And, I would like to especially express my pleasure for the level of participation today…
Turkey has been faced with coup attempts within the past few years. What we experienced on 15 July 2016 was the attempt of FETÖ members within the army. Before that, we had been targeted by the coup plotters within the judiciary system. They had tried to surround the elected prime minister of our country… A strong stand was portrayed in the face of those attempts and operations were carried out quickly. FETÖ decided to arm as a last resort…
The coup plotters apparently had not taken into account that people would not be leaving the streets to them. Weapons, planes, and tanks were not enough to scare our people. This was also an important example for the world. That night, our nation set an example before the world by having 241 martyrs and 2194 veterans. And, the greatest contribution came from our police forces and judiciary officers…
Each step we have taken is in line with our constitution and laws. The westerners ask us: ‘Are these all in obedience with the law?’ Just as much as you know of laws, we know them as well. Those who try to give a ‘lesson on laws’ should firstly look at the times when eastern and western blocks of Germany had united. And, they should look at France for ‘state of emergency’: how was its caution after a simple terror attack?... We have not encountered a simple terror attack; we have taken these steps in the face of a threat against the existence of the Republic of Turkey…
Our sensitiveness in terms of terrorism is different than everybody else. Here, among our friends, there are those who have been fighting against terrorism personally. This region is entangled in terror… We have always been patient. Rockets were fired from Syria and we had hundreds of martyrs… And, lastly, attack in Antep (at a wedding). This time, we said ‘we are not going to stop; we are going in to Syria with FSA’… We started off with Jarabulus. Once we wiped out ISIL from that region, people began settling there again. Then, we went into Raqqa; and, we settled people there, too. And, by last night, we managed to clear off Dabiq, with God’s help. Now, the people of that area began resettling again. We don’t take people from Turkey to those towns; the locals of the region settle there.
… They (coalition forces) had said PYD/YPG were not supposed to go in the region. It is an organization that is like a branch of PKK… This area is 95% Arab. When the promises were not kept, we did what was necessary. And, this morning, this information was forwarded to them… If the area is not cleared out of YPG and PYD, we cannot act together with the coalition forces!
Now, they say that Turkey should not go into Mosul. How could we not? We get threats from that region. Those who have nothing to do with the area go in asserting that Bagdat said to them ‘come’. Did Saddam Hussein say ‘come’ 14-15 years ago?
My chief of staff is in the USA; we have held talks there… We told them that we will not be responsible for the consequences of holding the operation without Turkey. We will be involved both in the operation and be on the table. We have siblings and relatives in that region. It is impossible for us to remain neutral in this regard. Nobody should expect from us to leave Bashiqa. We are there and we have done all that is necessary against ISIL. We warn countries that see terrorist groups as a useful leverage and remind them that it is like a boomerang: it would sooner or later reach you…
Somali, for example. Most of the countries do not have ambassadors there but we do. We have built a magnificent palace as an embassy building. Because, our bonds are different…”
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/erdogan-dan-musul-aciklamasi-operasyonda-da-masada-da-olacagiz-131712.html