Turkish army warns it will treat Brits fighting ISIS as terrorists
There are at least six British volunteers known to be on the frontline in northern Syria
TURKEY will treat Brits fighting alongside Kurdish groups in Syria as dangerous terrorists, a top government spokesman warned.
There are at least six British volunteers known to be on the frontline in northern Syria battling ISIS in support of the US-backed Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG).
As well as UK volunteers there are also several dozen British special forces assisting the YPG on the ground that could be at risk from rogue Turkish fire.
But Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and said those caught fighting with them can expect no mercy.
“These are terrorist groups and anyone fighting under their banner will be considered terrorists,” said Yunus Akbaba, a spokesman for the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yildirim.
“It is the responsibility of the countries where they come from to prevent them from joining these groups.
"Turkish forces will confront them if they are fighting under the banner of terrorist groups, regardless of whether they are members of allied countries, ” told the Middle East Eye.
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The comments raised the prospect that a Nato member army could open fire on Brit citizens.
Turkish troops entered Syria last week together with allied Syrian rebels to clear both ISIS militants and Kurdish-led forces from Jarablus.
Turkish forces have been regularly clashing with the YPG.
“Whilst their battalion is engaged in frontline operations they are currently all well,” said a spokesman for the group of Brit volunteers, fighting under the International Freedom Battalion (IFB) banner.
There are as many as 100 American, Canadian, German, French and Swedish volunteers operating in some capacity with the group.
Although the legal status of volunteering is unclear, the fighters answered a call put out by the IFB last year.
One British volunteer, who uses the pseudonym Macer Gifford, said he hopes the UK government take the Turkish “threats” seriously.
“Many are former servicemen that have distinguished themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others are leftist and humanitarians. We aren't terrorists by any definition of the word,” reports the.
“If one of them were to be killed by Turkey then you would see a lot of public anger.”