Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan re-emphasised yesterday during his official visit to Damascus – the first by a Turkish foreign minister to the country in several years – that Syria’s territorial integrity is ‘non-negotiable’, reiterating once again that ‘there is no place for the PKK/YPG in Syria’.
‘Syria’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable. The PKK/YPG is occupying one third of Syria’s land and illegally exploiting its natural resources, and has turned the region into a hotbed of terrorism for PKK members and far-left groups from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe… The terrorist group must disband immediately,’ Fidan said during a joint press appearance with Ahmed al-Sharaa (Al-Jolani), leader of the new Syrian government that emerged after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Turkish news agency Anatolia reported.
Fidan, who praised the courage of Syrians in confronting PKK/YPG forces in cities such as Raqqa or Hasakah (where popular uprisings have taken place and have been harshly repressed by the YPG), also called on the entire international community, but ‘especially Arab countries’, to establish relations with the new Syrian government. ‘This is not a time for ‘wait and see’,’ said the Turkish foreign minister, who urged the lifting of sanctions against Syria as a critical step to start the reconstruction of the country and the safe return of refugees.
‘Today is a new day for Syria’
For Turkey’s top foreign official, with the end of Assad’s dictatorship it is undeniable that Syria has entered a new era: ‘This victory is yours alone, achieved thanks to all your sacrifices,’ he said. ‘I cannot forget the day when opposition forces had to leave Aleppo. I cannot forget the day when some countries left you alone. But today is a new day, full of hope,’ he declared. However, Fidan again warned against the risk of organisations such as the PKK/YPG exploiting the situation to their own advantage.
In this regard, the Turkish foreign minister also condemned Israel’s recent actions by occupying Mount Hermon and several territories adjacent to the Golan Heights: ‘It is totally unacceptable for Israel to seize Syrian territories during this critical period. We call on Tel Aviv to respect Syria’s sovereignty, and on the international community to react to the illegal Israeli actions,’ said Fidan, who also pledged that Turkey is ready to “give the strongest support to the Syrian people in the fight against Daesh”.
For his part, Al-Sharaa stressed the unconditional support Turkey has always given to the Syrian opposition, also underlining the importance of forming a new strong government in the country, state control of all weapons, and the disbanding of all armed groups, including the PKK/YPG.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
