FM Hakan Fidan says solely ‘a matter of time earlier than YPG is eradicated’ in Syria, urges West to stop supporting group.
Turkiye’s overseas minister has mentioned that it’s “solely a matter of time” earlier than Kurdish-led armed teams in Syria shall be worn out, and that Ankara wouldn’t conform to any scenario permitting the armed group YPG to keep up a presence there after the autumn of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Turkiye sees the Folks’s Safety Models (YPG) – the primary part of the United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – as a “terrorist” group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Staff’ Occasion (PKK).
“Situations in Syria have modified. We imagine it’s solely a matter of time earlier than PKK/YPG is eradicated,” International Minister Hakan Fidan instructed a information convention within the capital Ankara on Monday.
Fidan warned towards any Western assist for Kurdish-led teams in Syria.
“When you [the West] have completely different goals within the area, if you wish to serve one other coverage by utilizing Daesh as an excuse to embolden the PKK, then there is no such thing as a means for that, both,” he mentioned, utilizing an Arabic title for the ISIL (also referred to as ISIS) group.
Turkiye has lengthy been rankled by US assist for the Kurdish-led SDF in northern Syria.
However Washington has lengthy seen the SDF, which spearheaded the combat towards ISIL in 2019 and controls jails and camps by which the group’s fighters are held, as essential to stopping a resurgence of the group.
New Syrian chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group has lengthy had ties with Turkiye, instructed Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that the Kurdish-led forces needs to be built-in into the nationwide military.
Fidan’s feedback got here after he met Jordanian International Minister Ayman Safadi, with whom he mentioned the ISIL risk in Syria within the wake of the toppling of al-Assad by HTS-led rebels.
Observers concern house could possibly be left for ISIL fighters to regather energy after the overthrow of al-Assad.
The group has managed to outlive in each Iraq and Syria regardless of the destruction of its so-called caliphate that lasted from 2014 to 2019.
“We mentioned what we will do collectively towards the specter of Daesh in Syria and the area,” Fidan mentioned.
“[ISIL] is a poison for Muslim societies. After all, utilizing our faith to brutally kill folks … [and] create chaos shouldn’t be one thing we’ll stay silent about,” he added. “It is extremely vital that [ISIL] doesn’t rise once more.”
Fidan’s feedback got here a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned that Syria’s new rulers have been decided to root out the YPG.
“With the revolution in Syria … the hopes of the separatist terrorist organisation hit a wall,” Erdogan mentioned in feedback addressed to his get together on Sunday.
“The brand new administration in Syria is displaying a particularly decided stance in preserving the nation’s territorial integrity and unitary construction,” he mentioned.
“The tip of the terrorist organisation is close to. There is no such thing as a possibility left aside from to give up their weapons, abandon terrorism, and dissolve the organisation. They may face Turkiye’s iron fist.”
