Turkish Minister Pledges 'Adequate Response' to US Embassy's Statement

Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Wednesday criticized the "saddening" statement of the US Embassy in Ankara on the administrative changes in Turkey's southeastern regions, and pledged an "adequate" response to it.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — On Sunday, Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced it had fired 28 provincial administrators and district governors for having links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen The move was followed by clashes in the region. Later in the day, the US embassy said that Washington was concerned by the reported clashes. The embassy expressed hope that any trustee appointments would be temporary, and that local citizens would be permitted to choose new local officials "in accordance with Turkish law."

"Does the ambassador have a right to criticize the appointments made by the state in order to fight against terrorism?… You continue to talk about the fight against terrorism. How can one create international anti-terror units and justify PKK terrorists at the same time? Our people will give an adequate response to those who are beyond the scope of what is permitted and allows himself inconsiderate behavior toward our country," Soylu told reporters, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that attempts to give Ankara a democracy lesson were unacceptable.

PKK is outlawed in Turkey as a terrorist organization. A ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish militants collapsed in July 2015, prompting the Turkish authorities to launch a military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern region