UPDATE 2 - No terrorist group in Syria should pose threat to Türkiye or any other country in region: Turkish foreign minister

UPDATES WITH ADDITIONAL REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Efe Ozkan and Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that no terrorist group should pose a threat to Türkiye or any other country in the region, especially given the current situation in Syria.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara, Fidan said: “Under the guise of fighting ISIS (Daesh), the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), which pursues a divisive agenda, must abandon this equation.”

Emphasizing that the SDF has a particular agenda and is acting in line with it, Fidan said the group should not feign prudence, adding that a solution that would benefit both sides and serve Syria's unity and integrity must be found.

He said that the international community needs to change its approach in the fight against ISIS, emphasizing that the Syrian government has the will to carry out coordinated operations against them.

"We must all work together to support Syria in terms of the necessary capabilities and capacity to fulfill this will. Türkiye will continue to contribute to the development of the Syrian government's capabilities to fight ISIS," said Fidan.

- Israel’s aggression against Syria

Fidan said the Syrian people expect the international community to condemn Israel’s attacks and noted that the new, cooperative Syrian government offers a chance to address security issues unresolved under the former Assad regime.

“We strongly support Syria's goal of becoming a country that stands on its own feet and provides stability in the region. God willing, we will continue to contribute to Syria's reconstruction through the public and private sectors,” Fidan said.

“This is a factor that increases instability. Frankly, this is a national security issue for us,” Fidan noted while evaluating Israeli attacks against Syria, particularly concerning the developments in Suwayda.

"We are closely following developments in Suwayda from this perspective. Because Israel's unilateral operations, using Suwayda and our Druze brothers there as a pretext, are causing different negative repercussions in the region," he said.

Noting that Israel's aggression towards Syria constitutes one of the most important problems facing Syria, Fidan said: “We have evaluated efforts to establish security in southern Syria. Ensuring peace and security in Syria will only be possible with respect for the country's territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty. As Türkiye, we will continue to support efforts in this direction.”

The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.

On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into state institutions, stressing the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting any separatist designs. The group, however, has violated the agreement more than once.​​​​​​​