Turkey believes Syria’s new rulers, together with the Syrian Nationwide Military (SNA) armed group which Ankara backs, will drive Kurdish YPG fighters from all territory they occupy in northeastern Syria, Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated on Sunday.
Turkey regards the Syrian YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Staff Get together (PKK) militants who’ve fought an insurgency in opposition to the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington, and the European Union.
The YPG spearheads an alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is backed by the USA and controls territory in northeastern Syria. Because the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad two weeks in the past, Turkey and Syrian teams it backs have fought in opposition to the SDF, seizing the town of Manbij.
“We consider that the brand new management in Syria and the Syrian Nationwide Military, which is a crucial a part of its military, together with the Syrian individuals, will free all territories occupied by terrorist organisations,” Guler stated throughout a go to to Turkish troops on the Syrian border with navy commanders.
“We may even take each needed measure with the identical willpower till all terrorist components past our borders are cleared,” he stated in a video launched by his ministry.
Ankara has demanded the Syrian Kurdish fighters disband, and has referred to as on Washington to withdraw its assist. The U.S. navy acknowledged final week it has 2,000 troops on the bottom in Syria, twice as many because it had stated beforehand.
On Saturday, Turkish International Minister Hakan Fidan stated Turkey would do “no matter it takes” to make sure its safety if Syria’s new administration was unable to deal with its considerations.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.
