UPDATES WITH MORE FROM STATEMENT ISSUED AFTER TURKISH NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
By Muhammed Enes Calli
ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye will continue to support efforts to ensure a lasting peace and stability in South Caucasus, the country’s National Security Council said on Thursday.
"All parties, especially Armenia, were reminded that the path to a lasting peace in South Caucasus can only be opened through the unconditional establishment of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty …" said a statement issued after a three-hour meeting of the National Security Council in the capital Ankara.
Obligations based on agreements, which will contribute to the prosperity of countries in the region, should be fulfilled to achieve the regional peace, according to the statement issued by the Turkish Communications Directorate.
Last week, in the wake of provocations by Armenian forces in Karabakh, Azerbaijan said it had launched "counter-terrorism activities" in the region to uphold a 2020 trilateral peace agreement with Russia and Armenia. After 24 hours, a cease-fire was reached.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.
- Resistance against YPG/PKK terrorist group in Syria
The legitimate resistance of the Syrians against the YPG/PKK terrorist group confirms that this "proxy organization" is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability, the statement said.
The Arab tribes were able to clear about 33 villages of terrorists in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and areas in Manbij and Aleppo during operations carried out from Aug. 27 to Sept. 13, 2023.
The tribal forces, however, later withdrew from the villages to prevent civilian casualties from YPG/PKK attacks and agreed to negotiate with the US forces who play a mediation role in the region.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
The statement also stressed that the preservation of peace in Kirkuk with the elimination of the terror groups in Iraq are among fundamental principles of Turkish policy toward the region.
- Cyprus issue
On the Cyprus issue, the statement said: "There is a need to establish the legal basis for the activities in the Northern Cyprus through a written agreement with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) authorities."
"The United Nations Peacekeeping Force's double standards and activities regarding the sovereignty of the TRNC and the most basic humanitarian needs of the Turkish Cypriots are incompatible with its obligation of neutrality and have damaged its credibility," it said.
On Aug. 18, UN peacekeepers intervened in road construction work to link the Turkish Cypriot village of Pile in the island’s buffer zone with the rest of the TRNC.
The roadwork is strategically important for residents as it will give them more options to reach Pile, where Turks and Greek Cypriots live together.
The Greek Cypriot administration and the UN, however, opposed to the project.
Türkiye will continue to be the guarantor of the security and peace of the Turkish Cypriots as part of its rights derived from international law and agreements, the statement added.
- Türkiye's existence in Kosovo
On Türkiye's policy towards Balkans, the statement said Ankara will exert maximum effort to preserve peace and stability both in the region and Kosovo.
Türkiye will assume the command of the NATO mission in Kosovo, it recalled.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the statement said Türkiye is "determined" to continue its efforts to end the war without delay.
Meanwhile, Türkiye will continue to provide support to Libya in a balanced and equitable manner across the country, the statement said.
The Mediterranean Storm Daniel, which struck eastern Libya on Sept. 10, caused flooding in the cities of Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Al-Marj as well as Soussa and Derna. The World Health Organization said nearly 4,000 people died and many others went missing.