Turkey announced that a new rebel government in Syria agrees with them about the need to get rid of Kurdish military groups. These groups are important allies for the US in northern Syria. Turkey has been unhappy with the US for supporting the Kurds, especially since Kurdish presence near the Turkish border is seen as a major security risk.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said, “The PKK and YPG, groups that Turkey considers to be terrorists, will eventually be dissolved.” However, no official agreement has been made yet, and it’s unclear if the new Syrian leaders will agree.
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a group controlling parts of Syria and linked to al-Qaeda, hasn’t specifically talked about these discussions with Turkey. But they have promised to protect religious minorities. The US, EU, and Turkey all label the PKK as a terrorist group, but Turkey also sees YPG—part of the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces—as connected to the PKK.
During a recent visit to Turkey, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Kurdish issue with Turkish leaders, who asked the US to reconsider its support for the Kurdish militia. The US still counts on the Syrian Democratic Forces to help fight against ISIS, particularly after the fall of the Assad regime.
Turkey wants the YPG to stop fighting and have foreign fighters leave Syria. Guler emphasized that the PKK/YPG cannot act on their own and called for their removal from Syria. He also said that the US hasn’t yet answered their offer to send three brigades to help fight ISIS in Syria.
Guler even questioned the threats from ISIS, stating that there hasn’t been much news about them lately in Syria. Blinken said that US officials have been talking with HTS and other groups about how to guide Syria’s political changes. Both Turkey and the US called for peace during a recent summit in Jordan.
Guler believes it’s important to see how the new rebel government acts and said they are ready to support military training if it’s needed.
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