Politics Erdogan: "Measures" against Kurdish militias in Syria
Ankara wants to take further action against Kurdish militias in Syria.
13.12.2024, 09:50
SDA
"Turkey will take preventive measures against all terrorist organizations that operate in Syria and pose a threat to Turkey," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan according to an official statement following a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara. The main focus was on the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG and the terrorist militia IS.
While the YPG is an important partner for the USA in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Turkey sees the militia as an offshoot of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) - and therefore as a terrorist organization. The Syrian National Army (SNA), which is supported by Turkey, is currently advancing into areas controlled by the YPG in northern Syria and recently took control of the strategically important city of Manbij after heavy fighting.
Ankara wants to push the Kurdish militias east of the Euphrates, possibly for a further advance to the Syrian-Kurdish border town of Kobane. Turkey has launched several offensives in Syria since 2016 and already controls areas in the north. Erdogan repeatedly talks about the goal of establishing a corridor that would extend 30 kilometers into Syria from the Turkish border.
Turkey is seen as the most influential foreign player following the change of power in Syria. "Ankara has the strongest communication channels and has long cooperated with the Islamist group currently in charge in Damascus," wrote analyst Gönül Tol in an article for Foreign Affairs.
They have no control over the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), but have made it clear to them that they hope for a peaceful transition and a new, inclusive Syria, a person familiar with the matter in Ankara told dpa.
