Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has signaled Ankara’s unwavering stance against Kurdish-led armed groups in Syria, declaring it “only a matter of time” before the People’s Protection Units (YPG) are eliminated. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan stressed that Turkey would not tolerate the YPG’s presence after the potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Labeling the YPG a “terrorist organization” due to its ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Fidan criticized Western nations for supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkey views as an extension of the PKK. He warned against using the Islamic State (ISIL) threat as a pretext to bolster the SDF, reiterating Turkey’s firm opposition.
Tensions between Turkey and the U.S. remain high over Washington’s backing of the SDF, which played a pivotal role in defeating ISIL in 2019 and manages detention camps holding ISIL fighters. Syrian opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has proposed integrating Kurdish forces into Syria’s national army, a move that Turkey sees as key to stability.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also weighed in, vowing to crush Kurdish separatist ambitions. He declared that the Syrian revolution would extinguish YPG hopes, leaving the group no choice but to surrender and disband. Erdogan warned that Turkey would wield its “iron fist” to ensure this outcome.
As alliances shift in the ongoing Syrian conflict, Turkey remains steadfast in its mission to secure its borders and thwart the resurgence of ISIL or any threat posed by Kurdish forces.
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