The Turkish president is raising his voice in the face of fighting between Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters in the north of the country.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed Monday to defend Syria’s territorial integrity and continue his country’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), during a speech after the first meeting of his cabinet in 2025.
“With the epic revolution that took place among our Syrian neighbors, a new era has begun in this country and in our region”he said.
Erdoğan reiterated Turkey’s support for Syria and the country’s opposition to threats of destabilization, warning that Ankara would act quickly against perceived threats.
“If we see a risk in this regard, we will quickly take the necessary measures”he said.
The comments come as deadly Israeli airstrikes on Syria continue to target weapons and military infrastructure. Since Syria’s civil war began in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in the country, although it rarely acknowledges them. It says its targets are Iranian-backed groups that supported ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
During his speech, the Turkish leader also addressed the decades-long campaign against the PKK, saying that “the circle closes for the separatist organization and its extension (in Syria)”referring to the People’s Defense Units (YPG) in northern Syria.
Erdoğan pledged to achieve a “Türkiye without terror” by peaceful means if possible, but with force if necessary, potentially referring to a proposal made by its ultranationalist alliance partner for the possible release of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in exchange for the dismantling of the armed group.
During the uprising that turned into conflict in Syria, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carved out a semi-autonomous enclave in northeast Syria, without ever fully allying. to Al-Assad in Damascus nor to the rebels who are trying to overthrow him.
Ankara considers the FDS to be a subsidiary of its sworn enemy, the PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. Turkey regularly launches strikes against Kurdish fighters in Syria and neighboring Iraq, accusing them of being linked to the PKK.
Even though the Al-Assad family is no longer there, Ankara’s position seems unchanged. This was evident from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s historic visit to Syria, where he reaffirmed his strong stance against the Kurdish-led group during his meeting with the de facto leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmad al-Sharaa.
