Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has threatened the PKK-allied YPG if they fail to meet Ankara's demands.
Turkey has threatened to launch a military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria unless it accepts Ankara's proposed “bloodless” reforms following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad last month.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told CNN Turk television on Tuesday that “we will do what is necessary” if People's Protection Units (YPG) fails to meet Ankara's demands. Turkiye wants to make himself a key player as their southern neighbors settle.
Fidan said a “military operation” could be on the cards, although he added that the new Syrian leadership, with whom Turkiye spoke, has the power to fight the YPG on its own.
It's Al-Assad defeated by the opposition rebels Last month, Turkiye will intervene directly against the Kurdish forces in Syria, who are accused by Ankara of collaborating with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK has been fighting the Turkish government for years. Turkey, as well as the United States and the European Union, have considered it a “terrorist organization”. The conflict is said to have killed more than 40,000 people.
The presence of the YPG in Syria remains very important for Turkey's security because it sees the two groups as allies and follows the same conflict.
“The international forces that came from Turkey, Iran and Iraq must leave Syria immediately. We do not see any preparation or any intention at the moment and we are waiting,” Fidan told CNN Turk.
Turkey-allied forces in northern Syria resumed their war with Kurdish forces at the same time as the rebels launched their offensive on November 27 that ousted al-Assad 11 days later.
'Give it time'
The new leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been allied with Turkiye, told Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that the Kurdish-led forces should be included in the national army.
Fidan, who met with al-Sharaa in Damascus last month, said that Ankara hopes that the new leadership will solve the YPG problem, although he added that he is ready to “give time” to negotiations between Damascus and the YPG.
“The terrorist fighters from international countries must leave Syria, the PKK leadership must leave the country. The remaining groups must lay down their arms and join the new system, this is about a bloodless and trouble-free transition.”
When asked if Turkey would still intervene in Syria despite the US support for the YPG, Fidan said: “We did this in the past in Afrin, in Ras al-Ain and in Tal Abyad”, referring to the areas in northern Syria where Turkey has control. direct.
He said Turkiye will not hesitate to do it again. “This is what the security of our country requires. We have no other choice.”