Erdogan denies allegations of Turkish army using chemical weapons

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey’s armed forces have never used chemical weapons and they abide by international law, saying legal action would be taken against those who have made allegations on the issue, broadcaster NTV reported on Friday.

“Our armed forces have not resorted to using chemical weapons to this day,” NTV cited Erdogan as telling reporters on his plane returning from a trip to Azerbaijan. “They will always cast such slanders. We will call them to account as is required within the law.”

His comments came after Turkish authorities on Thursday firmly rejected allegations that the Turkish armed forces had used chemical weapons in their operations against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. [Reuters]