Ankara to Washington: Stop supporting YPG forces in Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has dismissed recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who described the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as an “unfriendly takeover” by Türkiye.

President Trump had stated earlier this week during a press conference that Türkiye acted “very smart” and executed an “unfriendly takeover without suffering great loss of life” in Syria.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Fidan firmly rejected this characterization, stating it would be a “serious mistake” to describe recent developments in Syria as a Turkish takeover, per Caliber.Az.

“For the Syrian people, this is not a takeover. I think if there is any kind of takeover, it is the will of the Syrian people who are now taking over,” Fidan said.

The minister emphasized that Türkiye has no interest in being perceived as a regional power seeking domination in Syria. Instead, he highlighted the importance of cooperation among regional actors to prevent the cycle of devastation caused by dominance.

“Well, I think that’s the last thing we would like to see because we are learning huge lessons from what is happening in our region because the very culture of dominance has destroyed our region,” Fidan explained. “Not Turkish domination, not Iranian domination, not Arab domination, but cooperation should be essential.”

Fidan also addressed the controversial role of the YPG (People’s Protection Units), describing them as fundamentally tied to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU.

“The YPG units are essentially an extension of the PKK,” Fidan stated. “The YPG have maintained their control over territory in Syria, presenting themselves as the West's helpers in the fight against ISIS. I think this is a misrepresentation of their true nature. They are there as a terrorist organization ... Unfortunately, our Western friends are turning a blind eye to the fact that the YPG is an extension of the PKK.”

Fidan reiterated Ankara’s call for the US to cease military support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main combat force is the YPG.

He also touched on the Kurdish issue within Syria, stating, “The new government in Syria must resolve the issue of the Kurds in the country ... if they deal with this issue properly, we will have no reason to interfere.”

The US State Department placed HTS on its list of “foreign terrorist organisations” in May 2018 due to its affiliation with the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Since 2016, HTS’s al-Sharaa has moved to distance the organisation from al-Qaeda and has been positioning himself and HTS as credible caretakers of Syria in the post-Assad period.

By Tamilla Hasanova