Overseas Minister Hakan Fidan threatens army motion in opposition to PKK-linked YPG group in the event that they fail to satisfy Ankara’s calls for.
Turkiye has threatened to launch a army operation in opposition to Kurdish forces in Syria except they settle for Ankara’s situations for a “cold” transition following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad final month.
Overseas Minister Hakan Fidan instructed CNN Turk tv late on Tuesday that “we are going to do what’s crucial” if the Folks’s Safety Items (YPG) fail to satisfy Ankara’s calls for. Turkiye is looking for to make itself a key participant as its southern neighbour stabilises.
Fidan mentioned “a army operation” might be on the playing cards, though he added that the brand new Syrian management, for which Turkiye has voiced help, has the facility to battle the YPG by itself.
Al-Assad’s overthrow by opposition insurgent forces final month raised the prospect of Turkiye intervening immediately in opposition to Kurdish forces in Syria, that are accused by Ankara of hyperlinks to the Kurdistan Employees’ Get together (PKK).
The PKK has been battling the Turkish authorities for many years. Turkiye, in addition to the USA and the European Union, has lengthy thought of it a “terrorist organisation”. The battle is estimated to have killed greater than 40,000 folks.
The presence of YPG in Syria stays central to Turkiye’s safety technique because it considers the 2 teams organically linked and adhering to the identical ethno-nationalist separatism.
“These worldwide fighters who got here from Turkiye, Iran and Iraq should depart Syria instantly. We see neither any preparation nor any intention on this path proper now and we’re ready,” Fidan instructed CNN Turk.
Turkish-backed factions in northern Syria resumed their armed battle with Kurdish forces on the identical time that the rebels launched their November 27 offensive that ousted al-Assad simply 11 days later.
‘Give it a while’
The brand new interim Syrian chief, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group has lengthy had ties with Turkiye, instructed Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that the Kurdish-led forces must be built-in into the nationwide military.
Fidan, who met al-Sharaa in Damascus final month, mentioned Ankara anticipated the brand new management to deal with the YPG subject, though he added that it is able to “give it a while” with talks between Damascus and the YPG ongoing.
“The terrorist fighters coming from worldwide international locations should depart Syria, the PKK management should depart the nation. The remaining cadres should lay down their weapons and be a part of the brand new system, that is for a cold and problem-free transition.”
When requested if Turkiye would nonetheless intervene in Syria regardless of the US help for the YPG, Fidan mentioned: “We did it prior to now in Afrin, in Ras al-Ain and in Tal Abyad”, referring to places in northern Syria that Turkiye has focused.
He mentioned Turkiye wouldn’t hesitate to do it once more. “That is what our nationwide safety requires. We don’t have some other choice.”
