The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador to protest the Senate in Paris for hosting representatives of two Syrian Kurdish factions considered “terrorists” by Ankara.
According to Xinhua news agency, Ministry officials reminded Ambassador Herve Magro that Ankara “strongly opposes” the French Senate’s reception of members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and giving them “medals of honour.”
Ankara expects French authorities “not to give credit to efforts that provide international legitimacy” to these groups, said the sources.
Turkey asked French authorities for “support for the security of its borders and the Turkish people, as well as the protection of Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, and show solidarity in line with the spirit of alliance”, the sources said.
Ankara regards the YPG as the Syrian affiliate of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
For more than three decades, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union have designated the PKK as a terrorist group.
France’s assistance for Kurdish rebels in Syria has been a source of contention between Ankara and Paris for several years.
France has been a vocal opponent of Turkey’s invasions into Syria.
