Turkish presidential spokesperson criticizes US anti-ISIL envoy over 'terror' remarks

Turkish Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın on July 31 criticized statements by U.S. anti-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) coalition envoy Brett McGurk that linked Turkey to terror groups operating in northwestern Syria.        

Speaking at a panel on U.S. President Donald Trump's fight against terrorism at the Middle East Institute in Washington, Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter ISIL, claimed the city of Idlib had turned into a "safe zone for al-Qaeda terrorists on the Turkish border."        

"The terroristic structure in Idlib cannot be associated with Turkey," he told Turkey's TV Net. 

"Why? Because we do not control Idlib. There are Americans there, the YPG [People's Protection Units] there [around Idlib]. There are Russians and regime forces," Kalın said.      
  
He added that several years ago a refugee corridor was established because of the war and Turkish institutions like the Turkish Red Crescent, non-profit organizations and the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Relief Agency were involved in an effort to get humanitarian aid to Idlib. 

"After Aleppo's evacuation, a population boom occurred in Idlib," Kalın said.     
   
On July 30, in a written statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hüseyin Müftüoğlu also criticized McGurk for his "provocative" statements.      
  
"Our reaction to the statements of Brett McGurk, in which he associated Turkey with the presence of terrorist organizations in Idlib, was brought to Mr. McGurk's attention at a high-level demarche, and his statements, which could be characterized as provocative, were protested," Müftüoğlu said.
        
Turkey considers the YPG, the military wing of the...