Türkiye vows to prevent PKK/YPG from exploiting Syrian instability

Turkish Armed Forces have pledged to prevent the terrorist organizations PKK/YPG from seizing territory by exploiting the situation in Syria, said spokesperson for the Defence Ministry Zeki Aktürk on X.

"We are monitoring all activities aimed at protecting the PKK/YPG and attempts to create the illusion that the threat of ISIS remains in the east of the Euphrates," Aktürk stated, Caliber.Az reports.

Yeni bir döneme girilen Suriye’de, terörist unsurların bölgedeki belirsizlikten faydalanarak Suriye'nin egemenliğini ve toprak bütünlüğünü hedef almasına müsaade etmeyeceğimizi vurguluyoruz. #MillîSavunmaBakanlığı pic.twitter.com/Mx9lOf5PkD

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) December 12, 2024

He emphasized that it had been repeatedly stated that it is impossible to eradicate a terrorist organization using another terrorist group.

"Regarding Syria, which is entering a new phase, we will not permit terrorist groups to exploit the regional instability and undermine Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will persist in taking both preventative and decisive actions," he concluded.

In a recent development, the PKK/YPG terrorist group launched a drone attack on a vehicle used by Turkish state broadcaster TRT's reporters in Manbij, northern Syria, near the Turkish border. The attack, carried out with a "kamikaze drone," caused significant damage to the vehicle, but fortunately, no injuries were reported among the news team, who managed to relocate to a safe area.

Bulent Çulcuoglu, a TRT Haber journalist, shared details of the attack during a live broadcast on Wednesday, while covering developments related to Operation Dawn of Freedom, a counter-terrorism operation led by the Syrian National Army.

The Syrian National Army recently liberated Tel Rifaat, and with the fall of Manbij, the PKK/YPG's stronghold west of the Euphrates River has been dismantled. The PKK, responsible for over 40,000 deaths in its 40-year campaign, seeks to exploit the power vacuum in Syria. Türkiye continues to collaborate with local forces to combat this threat.

By Aghakazim Guliyev