Türkiye vows strong response to threats in Syria’s northern regions Focus on ensuring unity

The Turkish Armed Forces will continue to fight terrorism and are closely monitoring the latest developments in Syria, according to Zeki Aktürk, the head of the Turkish Defence Ministry’s press service.

He said the activities initiated by opposition groups in the Aleppo region and related developments are being closely monitored within the framework of the importance and priority given to the unity and territorial integrity of Syria as well as the fight against terrorism, Caliber.Az reports.

"Our troops are taking all necessary measures to maintain stability in the region, and we continue close co-operation and co-ordination with our counterparts in the region. The recent developments and the emerging situation are a problem that has not been resolved for a long time due to the opposition's demands and the regime's failure to take them into account, which stem from Syria's internal dynamics," Aktürk noted.

Suriye’de; muhalif grupların Halep bölgesinde başlattığı faaliyetler ve buna bağlı gelişmeler Suriye’nin birliği ve toprak bütünlüğü ile terörle mücadeleye verdiğimiz önem ve öncelik kapsamında yakından takip ediyoruz. #MillîSavunmaBakanlığı pic.twitter.com/Qgv57Iy608

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) December 5, 2024

The Rear Admiral stressed that all agreements reached in the areas of fighting in northern Syria are being honoured and we expect our partners to implement them as well.

"We reiterate that we will not allow the terrorist organisation RKK/YPG, which poses a serious threat to Syria's territorial integrity, sovereignty and security of our region, to benefit from instability in the region and that our position on the issue of combating terrorist organisations present in the region is clear," Aktürk added.

The background to these statements is the ongoing crisis in Syria, which took a significant turn following a large-scale offensive launched by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other armed opposition groups. On November 29, 2024, the militants began advancing from northern Idlib towards Aleppo and Hama, two strategically important regions. 

By November 30, the rebels captured Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, along with its surrounding areas, including the international airport and the Kuweiris military airfield. This marked the first time since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011 that the city had been entirely under militant control. Previously, the opposition only controlled the eastern part of Aleppo, but they were ousted by Syrian government forces in 2016, backed by Russian military support.

After capturing Aleppo, the militants shifted their focus to Hama, where they seized the town of Maarat al-Numan. However, the Syrian Army managed to halt their advance by December 1 and launched a counteroffensive. This resulted in the liberation of several towns and villages from the insurgents.

By December 5, the situation had worsened, with anti-government forces, led by HTS, clashing with Syrian Army units just a few kilometres from Hama's city centre. These clashes led to the capture of 20 additional villages. As a result, Hama is now surrounded on three sides, and fierce fighting continues. Reports indicate that over 100 Syrian army soldiers have been killed in the recent clashes.

By Tamilla Hasanova