Erdogan suggests Clinton’s ‘political inexperience’ after remarks on arming Kurdish PYD

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised Hillary Clinton on Wednesday after the US presidential candidate’s remarks about arming the Kurdish PYD, Anadolu has reported. Erdogan described her comments as “political inexperience.”

“Clinton said: ‘We will continue to support the PYD and YPG’,” the Turkish president told the audience at a ceremony for appointing new judges and prosecutors in Ankara. “This is a very unfortunate statement.”

On Sunday, when asked how she would handle Syria if elected president, Clinton said that she would “also consider arming the Kurds.” While she did not mention the PYD, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, her remarks have been interpreted in Ankara as referring to the terrorist group.

“This should not be done,” said Erdogan, “because the sensibilities of the region are different.” Such a step, he insisted, cannot be taken in a period when there are such sensibilities. “Are not you aware that you cause the deaths of 600,000 people through the arms that you give? Where is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Where is the law? Where is the importance of human life? No one places importance on this.”

Erdogan also reiterated that Turkey will not allow the formation of a “terror corridor” in northern Syria.

Turning to the topic of the purge of Fethullah Gülen associates in the wake of the 15 July coup attempt, Erdogan revealed that 3,456 judges, prosecutors and top jurists linked to the exiled cleric have been dismissed so far; 198 judges and prosecutors have been reinstated.

The government in Ankara accuses FETO, which is led by US-based Gülen, of organising the coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.