Erdogan snubs US national security adviser

US National Security Advisor John Bolton was in Turkey on Tuesday but did not meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan snubbed Bolton, pointing out that his counterpart was Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, with whom Bolton had a meeting along with other Turkish officials.

Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan also slammed Bolton's recent comments that Turkey “targets Kurds” in Syria.

"It is impossible to accept the message given by Mr Bolton in Israel," Erdogan told the governing Justice and Development [AK] Party's parliamentary group.

"Claims that Turkey targets Kurds in Syria are dishonourable, ugly, vulgar and defaming," Erdogan said.

The president added that Bolton had made a "very serious mistake" by demanding that Ankara guarantee the safety of YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria when the US withdraws its troops from the war-torn country.

Bolton’s claims are “irrational” 

On Sunday, Bolton had said the US will not withdraw troops from northeastern Syria until the Turkish government guarantees it won’t attack “Kurdish fighters,” referring to the YPG/PKK terrorist group.

Erdogan's rebuke of the US national security adviser came shortly after Bolton held more than two hours of talks in the Turkish capital Ankara focusing on US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Kalin on Sunday said Bolton’s claims were “irrational,” as Turkey is fighting Daesh and PKK/PYD/YPG terrorists in Syria, not Kurds.

No difference between PKK, YPG, PYD, Daesh

Erdogan said Turkey is determined to eliminate any "terror corridor" in northern Syria, adding that Turkey made no distinction between terrorist groups.

"For Turkey, there is no difference between PKK, YPG, PYD or Daesh," the president said.

He said Turkey's preparations to eradicate Daesh in Syria's north "together with other terrorist organisations are under way."

"Very soon we will act to neutralise terrorist groups in Syria.

And we will take out other terror groups that might try to prevent us from doing this," Erdogan added.

He said Turkey has always respected his allies, adding that his country expects the same attitude from its allies.

In the PKK's 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state, some 40,000 people have been killed. The PKK/YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, which Turkey, the US and EU consider a terrorist organisation.

Turkey has said it is planning a counter-terrorist operation into Syria targeting the PKK/YPG, following two successful operations since 2016.

TRT World's Andrew Hopkins has more from the capital Ankara.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council Garrett Marquis said in a statement said that Bolton and Kalin had a productive meeting. 

Marquis added that the two sides had identified further issues for dialogue and that the US looks forward to ongoing military-to-military consultations. 

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford and James Jeffrey, the US special representative for Syria and the special envoy for the anti-Daesh coalition, also attended the meeting that lasted a little over two hours.