Qandil serves as headquarters for PYD's illegal activities: Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said that the primary source supporting activities by Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG) is terror bases in the Qandil.

His statement come as a response to US Vice President Joe Biden's remarks that the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) must be seen as two different organizations. Biden's remarks were heard after his meeting with a delegation made up of MPs from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP) and secularist Republic's People Party (CHP) in Istanbul.

Biden said that the PKK is a terrorist organization and must lay down weapons, ending its armed violence. “However, PYD is not a terrorist organization. Rather, its critical partner in the fight against Daesh. It is the biggest enemy of Turkey and the United States."

Davutoğlu has asserted that PYD is the outlawed PKK's offshoot in Syria. “They are linked to each other. The bases in Qandil serve as a source for PYD's activities," he explained.

“If you claim PKK and YPG are two different organizations, it means you either do not know or ignore the armed groups and weapons that have been sent to Syria from the Qandil," he said. “It means you do not know the presence of weapons, which have been smuggled into Turkey through the border with Syria," he said. “The source of the smuggling activities is PKK bases in Qandil. That's where they have sent terrorists to Turkey."

Davutoğlu also said the PYD's armed wing YPG is just an armed group that pretends to be an organization cooperating with the international coalition. “But, its fighting against Daseh does not legitimate it. Turkey will retaliate if it recognizes any illegal activity by YPG or its smuggle of arms posing a threat to its security," he noted. “In the event of such a case, we will certainly do on YPG what we have done in Qandil."

Turkey and the United States have a deep difference of opinion on what Syrian Kurdish forces mean and whether or not they are terrorists. Turkish authorities say PYD should be treated as a terrorist group because of its link with the PKK. However, US officials in Washington see PYD's militia as an allied force in the fight against Daesh. Thus, Obama's administration says PYD is not a terrorist organization, under US law whereas the PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by the US.