Erdogan says U.S. supports militants who executed Turkish forces in Iraq

[February 15, 2021]    ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States on Monday of supporting Kurdish militants who Ankara says executed 13 kidnapped Turks in northern Iraq, adding that a U.S. statement of condemnation was a "a joke".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, February 10, 2021. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS

Turkey said on Sunday militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) executed the 13 Turks, including military and police personnel, amid a military operation against the group. Washington said it condemned the killings if reports that the PKK was responsible were confirmed.

Erdogan told supporters of his AK Party that the U.S. statement showed it supported the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG force, which Ankara considers an offshoot of the PKK.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Dominic Evans)

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.