Ankara's Strategic Stance on Kurdish Militants: A New Era in Syrian Relations

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted that the new Syrian administration should address Kurdish militants, but Ankara would not hesitate to act against them if necessary. He acknowledged Russia's strategic decision not to support Assad and anticipated no issues with the U.S. despite differences on Syrian groups.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized on Friday that the Syrian government's new leadership should take charge in dealing with Kurdish militant groups within its borders. He warned that if they failed to do so, Ankara would intervene to safeguard its national interests. His comments came during a press conference held in Istanbul.

Fidan made it clear that Turkey's actions against Kurdish militants should not be confused with a conflict against the Kurdish people in general. In light of the evolving political dynamics in Syria, Turkey is reassessing its military engagement in the region to align with current circumstances.

The minister praised Russia's pragmatic decision to withdraw backing from the former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, suggesting it could have continued supporting Assad militarily against rebel forces. Fidan also expressed confidence that Turkey would manage its counter-terrorism initiatives effectively without conflict with the United States, regardless of the U.S.'s support for entities Ankara labels as terrorists.

(With inputs from agencies.)