Page 9 - Aruba Today
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 19 February 2016
Turkey blames Kurdish militants for Ankara car bombing
SUZAN FRASER Members of Turkish forces secure the scene of an explosion on the road linking the cities of Di- risk losing the title of being
Associated Press yarbakir and Bingol, in southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. Six soldiers were killed after a friend of Turkey,” Davu-
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — PKK rebels detonated a bomb on the road as their vehicle was passing by, according to Turkey’s toglu said in an apparent
Turkey on Thursday blamed state-run Anadolu Agency.The deaths come a day after a suicide bombing claimed the lives of reference to Washington.
Kurdish militants at home at least 28 people and wounded dozens of others. “It is out of the question for
and in neighboring Syria us to excuse a terror orga-
for a deadly bombing in (AP Photo/Mahmut Bozarslan) nization that threatens the
Ankara and it stepped up capital of our country.”
pressure on the U.S. to sev- Ankara regards as terrorists of friends and foes in the as terrorists. Turkey also Erdogan said the bomb-
er ties with the Syrian Kurd- because of their affiliation Middle East, Washington wants the United States to ing would serve to make
ish militia that has been a with the PKK. President Re- relies heavily on the Syrian stop providing weapons Turkey’s friends “better un-
key force against the Is- cep Tayyip Erdogan urged Democratic Union Party, or to the Syrian Kurdish mili- derstand how strong are
lamic State group in the Washington to choose PYD, and its military wing, tias, arguing that the arms the links between PYD and
complex Syrian conflict. between Turkey and the the People’s Protection end up with the PKK. Turkish YPG in Syria’s north with the
The blast at rush hour Syrian Kurdish group as its Units, or YPG, in fighting leaders pushed that effort PKK in Turkey.” The ambas-
Wednesday killed 28 peo- partner. extremists from the Islamic further Thursday. sadors of the U.S., Russia,
ple and wounded dozens The U.S. already lists the State group. The U.S. has “Those who directly or indi- Britain, China and France
more in a car bombing PKK as a terrorist group. But rejected Turkish pressure to rectly back an organization — the five permanent U.N.
that targeted buses of mili- in the complicated tangle brand those Kurdish groups that is the enemy of Turkey Security Council members
tary personnel. Ankara’s — were invited separately
second bombing in four to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry
months came as Turkey and briefed on the Ankara
grappled with an array of bombing, a ministry offi-
serious issues, including re- cial said. Ambassadors to
newed fighting with Kurd- Germany and the Nether-
ish rebels, threats from Is- lands, as well as the head
lamic State militants and of the European Union del-
the Syria refugee crisis. egation, also were invited.
Prime Minister Ahmet Da- The official spoke on condi-
vutoglu said a Syrian na- tion of anonymity because
tional with links to Syrian she wasn’t authorized to
Kurdish militias carried out talk publicly on the issue.
the attack in concert with Soner Cagaptay, director
Turkey’s own outlawed of the Turkish Research Pro-
Kurdish rebel group, the gram at the Washington In-
Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or stitute for Near East Policy,
PKK, which has waged a said the attack blamed on
30-year insurgency. He also the Kurdish militias places
blamed the government the U.S. in a difficult posi-
of President Bashar Assad tion. q
for allegedly supporting
the Syrian Kurdish militia. UAE backs oil producers’ output freeze plan
Turkish leaders vowed to
retaliate for the Ankara at- ADAM SCHRECK nounced their willingness to The seven-state federation have a positive impact on
tack, and the military said Associated Press cap output at last month’s is OPEC’s third-largest oil balancing future demand
its warplanes conducted DUBAI, United Arab Emir- levels at a surprise meeting producer. based on the current over-
cross-border raids within ates (AP) — The United in Qatar this week — but Energy Minister Suhail Mo- supply,” he said.
hours against PKK posi- Arab Emirates threw its sup- only if other major oil pro- hammed al-Mazrouei said He was also quoted as
tions in the Haftanin region port on Thursday behind a ducers join them. in a statement to state news saying he believes current
of northern Iraq, striking plan by major oil producers OPEC member Kuwait has agency WAM that the Emir- conditions will prompt pro-
about 60-70 rebels, includ- to freeze output levels in since said it supports the ates supports any proposal ducing countries to cap
ing senior leaders. The re- an attempt to halt a slide proposal, and Iran has of- to freeze output through existing output, if not cut
port could not be indepen- in crude prices that has fered at least tentative consensus with OPEC and supply. The UAE, he said, “is
dently verified. pushed them to their low- backing. Russia, which is not part of always open for coopera-
Turkey had been pressing est point in more than a The support from the Emir- the oil-producing bloc. tion with everyone in order
the U.S. in recent weeks decade. ates, a close Saudi ally, “We believe that freezing to serve the higher interests
to cut off its support to the Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qa- does not come as a major production levels by mem- of the producers and the
Kurdish Syrian militias that tar and Venezuela an- surprise but is still significant. bers of OPEC and Russia will balance of the market.q
