Turkey's Erdogan accuses US of creating 'sea of blood' with policy on Syria Kurds

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of creating a "sea of blood" in the region. PHOTO: AFP

ANKARA (AFP, REUTERS) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday (Feb 10) accused the United States of creating a "sea of blood" in the region by failing to recognise the main Syrian Kurdish organisations as terror groups.

"Hey America... As you have never recognised them (as terror groups) the region has turned into a sea of blood," Erdogan said in a lacerating attack on US policy, referring to the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

"Are you on our side or the side of the terrorist PYD and PKK organisation?" Erdogan added in a speech in Ankara to provincial officials.

Turkey considers the PYD to be a terrorist organisation, citing its ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a three-decade violent insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.

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