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Abdollahian, Mekdad Demand Immediate Withdrawal of ‘Occupying Forces’ from Syria

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomes his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Monday (AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomes his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Monday (AFP)
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Abdollahian, Mekdad Demand Immediate Withdrawal of ‘Occupying Forces’ from Syria

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomes his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Monday (AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomes his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Monday (AFP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on Monday for the immediate pull out of “the occupying military forces” from Syrian soil.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad following their meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran earlier in the day.

The Iranian FM said that immediate pullout of foreign forces from Syria will be highly conducive to stability and security in the region, also emphasizing that peace and security will be guaranteed only in the absence of foreign forces' interference.

Mekdad, for his part, said Syria is satisfied with the developments in the region.

“Active diplomacy at the Iranian level predicts well for people of the region,” he noted.

The Syrian foreign minister said he discussed with his Iranian counterpart the destructive role of the US and its direct occupation in northwest Syria.

He stressed that Syria wants the US forces and those of the US-led international coalition to leave its territory.

Also, Mekdad said his country supports all initiatives for the return of Syrian refugees, but Western countries impede that goal under the pretext that conditions are not suitable.

He also stressed that there is no hostility with the Turkish people, but added, “We want the departure of any illegal foreign force from our land.”

The Syrian foreign minister said the Turkish army occupies part of the Syrian land in the north, noting that since 2011, 300,000 to 400,000 of those he described as “terrorists” have entered Syria.

Meanwhile, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash announced on Monday that Iran and Syria have eliminated bilateral trade tariffs, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

The Syrian foreign minister arrived in Tehran Sunday, along with the communications and technology minister and economy and trade minister, to follow up on the implementation of the bilateral agreements signed during the visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Damascus in early May.

The visit of the Syrian delegation to Tehran comes amid reports saying Iran plans to establish an Iranian free zone in central Syria to meet Iranian investments and to strengthen economic relations between the two countries.

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Arab World

Türkiye Will Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ If Syria Govt Cannot Address Kurd Militia Issue, FM Says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
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Türkiye Will Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ If Syria Govt Cannot Address Kurd Militia Issue, FM Says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)

Türkiye will do "whatever it takes" to ensure its security if the new Syrian administration cannot address Ankara's concerns about US-allied Kurdish groups it views as terrorist groups, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday.

Türkiye regards the YPG, the militant group spearheading the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington, and the European Union.

Hostilities have escalated since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad less than two weeks ago, with Türkiye and Syrian groups it backs seizing the city of Manbij from the SDF on Dec. 9. Assad's fall has left the Kurdish factions on the back foot as they seek to retain political gains made in the last 13 years.

In an interview with France 24, Fidan said Ankara's preferred option was for the new administration in Damascus to address the problem in line with Syria's territorial unity, sovereignty, and integrity, adding that the YPG should be disbanded immediately.

"If it doesn't happen, we have to protect our own national security," he said. When asked if that included military action, Fidan said: "Whatever it takes."

Asked about SDF commander Mazloum Abdi's comments about the possibility of a negotiated solution with Ankara, Fidan said the group should seek such a settlement with Damascus, as there was "a new reality" there now.

"The new reality, hopefully, they will address these issues, but at the same time, (the) YPG/PKK, they know what we want. We don't want to see any form of military threat to ourselves. Not the present one, but also the potential one," he added.

Ankara, alongside Syrian allies, has mounted several cross-border offensives against the YPG-led SDF in northern Syria, while repeatedly demanding that its NATO ally Washington halt support for the fighters.

The US-backed SDF played a major role defeating ISIS militants in 2014-2017 with US air support, and still guards its fighters in prison camps. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the extremist group would try to re-establish capabilities in this period.

Fidan said he didn't find the recent uptick in US troops in Syria to be the "right decision", adding the battle against ISIS was an "excuse" to maintain support for the SDF.

"The fight against ISIS, there is only one job: to keep ISIS prisoners in prisons, that's it," he said.

Fidan also said that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which swept into Damascus to topple Assad, had "excellent cooperation" with Ankara in the battle against ISIS and al-Qaeda in the past through intelligence sharing.

He also said Türkiye was not in favor of any foreign bases, including Russian ones, remaining in Syria, but that the choice was up to the Syrian people.