Turkey expects overseas international locations will withdraw help for Kurdish fighters in Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, President Tayyip Erdogan mentioned, as Ankara seeks to isolate Kurds who’ve lengthy fought alongside U.S. troops.
Chatting with reporters on the flight dwelling from a summit in Egypt on Thursday, Erdogan mentioned there was not any cause for outsiders to again Kurdish YPG fighters. His feedback had been launched by his workplace on Friday.
The Kurdish YPG has been the primary pressure in a U.S.-backed alliance in northern Syria, however Turkey considers the group an extension of the PKK, which has lengthy fought the Turkish state and is banned as terrorists by Ankara, Washington and the EU.
In his remarks, Erdogan in contrast the U.S.-backed YPG to Islamic State, and mentioned neither group had any future in Syria.
“Within the upcoming interval, we don’t consider that any energy will proceed to collaborate with terrorist organisations. The heads of terrorist organisations equivalent to Islamic State and PKK-YPG can be crushed within the shortest attainable time.”
America nonetheless has 900 troops on the bottom in Syria working alongside the YPG-led alliance often known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF performed a serious function on the bottom defeating Islamic State militants in 2014-2017 with U.S. air help, and nonetheless guards Islamist fighters in jail camps.
Ankara, alongside Syrian allies, has mounted a number of cross-border offensives towards the YPG-led SDF in northern Syria, whereas repeatedly demanding that its NATO ally Washington halts help for the fighters.
Hostilities have escalated since Assad was toppled lower than two weeks in the past, with Turkey and Syrian teams it backs seizing town of Manbij from the SDF on Dec. 9, prompting the USA to dealer a fragile ceasefire.
Erdogan informed reporters that Turkey wished to see a brand new Syria during which all ethnic and non secular teams can reside in concord. To realize this, “Islamic State, the PKK and its variations which threaten the survival of Syria should be eradicated”, he mentioned.
“The PKK terrorist organisation and its extensions particularly have reached the top of their lifespan,” Erdogan added.
On Thursday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi informed Reuters that Kurdish fighters from outdoors Syria who had joined the group’s ranks would go away if a truce had been agreed with Turkey, lengthy considered one of Ankara’s main calls for.
In his remarks, Abdi acknowledged for the primary time that Kurdish fighters from different international locations – together with PKK members – had been helping the SDF, however mentioned they might not be wanted beneath a truce.
A Turkish Defence Ministry official mentioned there was no discuss of a ceasefire between Turkey and the SDF, including that Ankara would proceed taking counter-terrorism measures till “the PKK/YPG lays down its arms and its overseas fighters depart Syria”.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.
