Turkey’s Erdogan says is ‘concerned’ about Islam
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to link his country’s recent military campaign against targets in Syria and Iraq to “concerns” about Islam, saying the image of Islam is being damaged by violence perpetrated at the hands of Takfiri terrorist groups.
The Turkish president, who has faced mounting criticism over the recently launched military campaign, defended the ongoing attacks against purported ISIL targets in northern Syria and the positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, saying Ankara is faced with a serious threat from Takfiri groups.
“Our only concern is Islam, Islam, Islam,” Erdogan said in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta – where he is on an official visit – on Friday.
Many have accused Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of indirectly backing the Takfiri groups in Syria in a bid to undermine the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to which Ankara is fiercely opposed.
Critics say the Turkish military campaign, which began two weeks ago, is in fact focused mainly on Kurdish targets rather than ISIL positions. Turkey had been publicly indifferent to the atrocities committed by ISIL in Syria and Iraq before certain recent developments that provided an opportunity for Ankara to begin targeting Kurds, a population Turkey considers as its number one enemy. Turkey has officially declared that it will oppose the establishment of a Kurdish state along its southern borders.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Erdogan denied that the AK Party was involved in providing ISIL with weapons and training, saying Turkey has never supported the ISIL. He branded those propagating the notion as belonging to “dark circles.”
Elaborating on his “concerns” about Islam, Erdogan said the crucial problem facing the Muslim world is “sectarian divisions,” which he claimed is exploited by the terrorists.
“Turkey makes no distinction between Sunni and Shia members of Islam and does not follow a policy based on sectarian divisions,” Erdogan said.
He lashed out at the terror groups for killing people in the name of Islam, saying the religion forbids any such “unjust killings” and considers them “equivalent to killing all of humanity.”
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