Syrian President al-Sharaa's stance on terrorist PKK/YPG 'extremely' clear, which is at a level that meets Türkiye's security needs, says Hakan Fidan
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that the post-Assad Syrian administration has no plans involving either a federation or autonomous regions.
Speaking at Anadolu's Editors' Desk in the capital Ankara, Fidan addressed key regional issues, including Syria's stance on terrorism and security cooperation.
Fidan emphasized the importance of Tuesday's talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying the discussions covered key issues such as Syria's reconstruction, border security, and counterterrorism efforts against terrorist groups PKK/YPG and ISIS (Daesh).
"Our number-one expectation from Ahmad al-Sharaa... is to take ownership of the country's problems and resolve them. We expect them to address issues that pose a threat to Türkiye and the region.
"We have the same expectations from Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Just as we do not produce threats for our neighboring countries, we also expect our neighbors not to pose any threats to us under any circumstances. This is our top priority," Fidan said.
He added that Ahmad al-Sharaa's position on the terrorist group PKK/YPG is "extremely clear" and meets Türkiye's security needs.
Fidan said Syria would send back or "eliminate" all PKK terrorists who have come from various countries "to ensure its national unity."
He pointed out that the terrorist PKK/YPG took advantage of the crisis under the ousted Assad regime to establish a "de facto" presence and that its so-called prison services for ISIS members have created the illusion of support from "certain countries."
"The Syrian administration must take a broader perspective on this matter because the country's national unity, cohesion, and sovereignty must not be threatened," he added.
- Türkiye expects US to end support to terrorist YPG
Emphasizing that Syria does not accept political and administrative division, Fidan noted that experts recognize that such a model has not worked in the past.
He said turning ethnic groups within the country into minorities, depriving them of broader national interests, and later using them as tools for political instability "benefits no one." Fidan stressed that ensuring national unity should not come at the cost of excluding citizens from their cultural and other rights.
Addressing a question about the US military presence in Syria, Fidan said the issue was discussed during Tuesday's visit by the Syrian delegation to Türkiye.
He noted that with new appointments in the incoming US administration, Washington is in a decision-making process on the matter.
Noting that talks with US counterparts have accelerated over the past year, Fidan added, "We hope that an exceptionally appropriate decision will be made. Then, we can all move forward together. What we expect is for the US to end its support for the YPG and eliminate the threat to Syria's national unity and territorial integrity. The new Syria must move forward without delay."
- Fight against terrorism in region
About the fight against terrorism in the region, Fidan announced steps to establish a joint mechanism between Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan to combat the terrorist group ISIS.
He said discussions would take place in the fields of foreign affairs, defense, and intelligence under a 3+3 format, where the four countries would evaluate potential joint actions against ISIS.
Emphasizing the significance of this regional initiative, Fidan said the main goal is to establish a collaborative mechanism to counter the terrorist threat effectively.
On the cooperation between Türkiye and Iraq in security and the fight against the PKK terrorist organization, Fidan noted there are still steps to be taken. He said Iraq should end the activities of the terrorist PKK in the regions under its constitutional control.
