Turkey poised for military move against Kurdish forces in Syria
The Turkish armed forces have been placed on full combat readiness due to the potential for operations against Kurdish armed groups in Syria. This information was provided to the pro-government newspaper "Türkiye" by sources within the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
According to the sources, Ankara has demanded that the new Syrian authorities take action against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) representatives and is now preparing for "all scenarios," including military actions within the neighboring country.
Erdogan warns: "Taking necessary steps"
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, previously warned PKK representatives that Turkey would initiate a military operation if they do not lay down their arms and begin cooperating with the new Syrian administration. President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also announced "taking necessary steps" should there be a threat to Syria's unity due to Kurdish activities.
The separatist murderers will either bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried in Syrian lands along with their weapons, emphasized Erdogan, emphasized Erdogan.
Ankara views Kurdish autonomy in Syria as a terrorist organization and fears that Kurdish self-governance in Syria may bolster the separatist movement in Turkey. Meanwhile, Kurdish groups in Syria have cooperated with the United States in fighting ISIS. After defeating this terrorist group, American troops remained in Syria's oil-rich regions controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), largely composed of Kurds.
Responding to Turkish threats of a military operation against Kurdish groups, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a new conflict is not in Syria's interest, and the United States is working to prevent it.
Turkey's concerns about the PKK and terrorism are valid, and Washington is actively working to address many of these challenges, though it requires time, according to Blinken. He highlighted that conflict contradicts the progress in Syria and affirmed ongoing efforts to prevent such tensions.
New political realities in Syria
In late October 2024, Syrian insurgents launched an offensive, capturing the capital—Damascus—on December 8. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and, together with his family, received asylum in Russia. Power in Syria was taken over by the Islamist organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which collaborates with Turkey.
