Türkiye, Jordan forge stronger counter-terrorism ties at Ankara meeting

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi have discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries as they met in Ankara.

Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish National Intelligence Organization Chief Ibrahim Kalin, Jordanian Chief of Staff Major General Yousef Huneiti, and head of Intelligence Department Major General Ahmad Husni participated in the meeting, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Caliber.Az reports citing Turkish media.

Fidan discussed Ankara’s cooperation with Jordan in the fields of defence, counterterrorism, and defence industry, as well as express satisfaction with the close collaboration between the two countries.

According to Fidan, the discussions focused on potential actions the IS could take in the current context and how both countries, along with their regional partners, could coordinate their tactical and strategic responses.

“We discussed in detail what actions the IS could undertake in the current circumstances, where the group could revolt, and the joint response steps we will take at both the tactical and strategic levels,” Fidan explained. He emphasized the importance of collaboration with other regional stakeholders, particularly Iraq, to address counter-terrorism challenges effectively.

Fidan also addressed concerns regarding the activities of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) and its Syrian affiliates, stating that he had discussed efforts with his Jordanian counterpart to curtail their operations. “If your ambitions in the region are different, and if you seek to promote another policy by strengthening the RCC under the pretext of fighting ISIL, there is no room for that. We are in a position to disrupt any such attempts,” he asserted.

The Turkish foreign minister further stressed that the key issue in resolving the crisis lies in the IS laying down its arms and cooperating with the new Syrian administration. Fidan called for the removal of terrorist groups such as the PKK/YPG from the region, highlighting the need for a unified approach to address the ongoing instability.

Looking ahead, Fidan indicated that future meetings are expected to include Iraqi and Syrian officials, aiming to form a broader coalition of regional countries to tackle these pressing counter-terrorism issues collaboratively.

By Vafa Guliyeva