Türkiye expects US to cooperate against YPG/PKK, FETO terrorism — Erdogan

Türkiye expects the US to act in cooperation with it in the fight against terrorist groups such as the PKK/YPG and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

"We expect our American friends to act in cooperation in our fight against the PKK, YPG and FETO in a manner befitting the spirit of alliance," Erdogan said on Sunday at a dinner event organised by the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Erdogan said Turkish authorities have been "meticulously" working with their US counterparts to bring FETO leader Fetullah Gulen and the group's members to Turkish justice.

READ MORE: FETO terror group 'threatens humanity as a whole' – Turkish FM

Fight against terrorism

One of the topics that frayed relations between Ankara and Washington is fighting against terrorism.

The US has declared its policy of arming the YPG in Syria, as a tool to fight against Daesh, a move that Türkiye sees as a threat to its territorial integrity. 

YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, which has been listed as a foreign terrorist organisation by both US and Türkiye. 

Since 2016, Türkiye has conducted several major operations against YPG/PKK and Daesh to root out terrorist organisations from its borders.

The president stressed that Türkiye will continue to fight against the FETO, PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorist groups, adding: "We will remove the dark shadow of terror from our region.”

The US is hosting Fetullah Gulen, leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, the man who orchestrated the military coup attempt on the Turkish elected government in July 2016. 

The coup attempt faced nationwide resistance in the country but it claimed 252 lives and wounded more than 2,200 people in the country.

READ MORE: US forces must withdraw from east of Euphrates River in Syria: Türkiye

Russia-Ukraine conflict

Turning to the fight between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan noted that Ankara will work tirelessly to stop the battle and ease the burden of its global impact.

"As Türkiye, we will continue our efforts to resolve the war through diplomacy and to eliminate its negative effects on a regional and global scale in the upcoming period as well," Erdogan said.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports. 

"Particularly, the steps we have taken regarding the agricultural corridor with the Istanbul Convention, are appreciated by everyone," said Erdogan noting that the deal focuses on providing relief to underdeveloped nations.

READ MORE: ‘Beacon of hope’: Landmark Ukraine grain export deal signed in Türkiye

The president said he hoped to resolve the issues between Türkiye and the US "on the basis of common interests" while developing cooperation with Washington.

Erdogan also urged the US to take "strong" precautions against the mentality that likens Islam to terrorism and hatred against Muslims.