Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 20, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday denounced the United States, France and Germany over their support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (Xinhua/Anadolu Agency)
ISTANBUL, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday denounced the United States, France and Germany over their support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The president blasted the United States over the display of posters of PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in Syria's Raqqa following its liberation early this week from the Islamic State (IS) group that involved Syrian Kurdish fighters.
"How will the United States explain it?" Erdogan demanded, as Turkey regards both the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish militia known as People's Protection Units (YPG) as terror groups.
Erdogan also referred to Ocalan's poster on a state television building in France and a recent march of PKK supporters in Germany, accusing police forces of the two countries of remaining inactive.
"They are dishonest. I invite them to be honest first," he said.
The president also accused the Western countries of leaving Turkey alone in its fight against terrorism.
"They said they were standing with us in the anti-terror fight when we meet bilaterally, but we do not believe that," Erdogan said at a press conference in Istanbul.
Despite opposition from Ankara, Washington has been supporting the YPG in the fight against the IS, giving rise to chilled relations between the NATO allies, which have lately resorted to a mutual suspension of non-immigrant visa services.
A day earlier, Erdogan accused the West of being hypocritical in the fight against terrorism, saying Turkey's Western allies are turning a blind eye to terror activities by the PKK and a network led by Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen living in the United States.
The PKK, listed as a terror group also by the United States and the EU, resumed its armed campaign against the Turkish government in July 2015, shattering a two-year peace process.
Washington has refused to extradite Gulen, who is blamed by Ankara for a failed coup in July last year, an episode that has harmed bilateral ties.
