IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu evaluated the EP resolution condemning Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring. Chairman Zeytinoglu said that the decision was difficult to understand and stressed such attitude towards a country with close to 4 million Syrian refugees and that suffered most from the Syrian war is unacceptable.

IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu made the following remarks:

"Yesterday, EP adopted a resolution against Turkey. The EP resolution condemns Operation Peace Spring and it indicates that the operation has damaged the security of the region and it calls Turkey to withdraw forces from Syria.  While MEP’s welcome establishment of a possible safe zone under UN supervision, they are skeptical of Turkey's efforts to create its safe zone. Therefore they describe the initiative as an invasion. The report, which carries the perception that the operation has been conducted against the Kurdish population, also shares the EP’s concerns that ISIS would strengthen again.

The statement also asserts that Turkey has used the refugees as a weapon and a leverage. Ultimately, the EP calls the EU Council to impose sanctions on Turkey, impose some measures such as a visa ban against Turkish officials, and impose economic sanctions that could lead to the suspension of the Customs Union. This EP resolution calling for sanctions also reveals the dire situation where Turkey-EU relations have come. Increasingly frayed relations between EU and Turkey, and blocking of the EU accession process by vetoes have brought relations to this stage. There is also a severe bias in the EU, particularly in some far-right circles, that prevents facts from being analyzed as they should be.”

Chairman Zeytinoğlu stated that the issue had been distorted and he underlined that the EU had not fulfilled its duties ongoing process in Syria and instead of this, preferred to blame Turkey:

“Turkey is the country that has been most affected by the war in Syria so far and has involved in diplomatic efforts to bring the process under control. Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring because international actors, including the EU, have not taken steps to halt the continuing conflict since 2011 and bring stability to Syria up to now. It should not be forgotten that Turkey is the country with the largest population of Syrian refugees. It is also an unfair criticism to say that Turkey uses the refugees as a weapon.”