Türkiye, Jordan Coordinate Syria’s Transition and Refugee Return

Fidan and Safadi during the press conference in Ankara (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Fidan and Safadi during the press conference in Ankara (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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Türkiye, Jordan Coordinate Syria’s Transition and Refugee Return

Fidan and Safadi during the press conference in Ankara (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Fidan and Safadi during the press conference in Ankara (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Türkiye and Jordan have agreed on the importance of ensuring Syria’s unity and sovereignty while supporting its new administration in achieving stability and rebuilding a future inclusive of all Syrians without discrimination.

High-level discussions in Ankara on Monday, involving foreign and defense ministers as well as intelligence chiefs from both countries, underscored joint efforts toward Syria’s reconstruction, the return of refugees, and improving daily life for citizens.

The talks came amid intensified Turkish military actions against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Tishrin Dam and Qara Qozak Bridge in eastern Aleppo. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, emphasized cooperation on counterterrorism, developments in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and the broader region.

Fidan noted that Türkiye and Jordan have been aligned since the onset of the Syrian conflict, and both countries remain focused on stabilizing Syria. He revealed plans to draft a roadmap for supporting the Syrian people in coordination with Syrian stakeholders. Future meetings involving Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are also planned to discuss regional stability. He further reaffirmed solidarity with Jordan in efforts to stop the aggression in Gaza.

Safadi, for his part, stressed that Syria’s stability is vital to regional security, highlighting the shared commitment of Jordan and Türkiye to supporting Syrians in rebuilding their nation on inclusive foundations. He noted discussions on enhancing essential services, including electricity access, for Syrians and emphasized Amman’s intention to intensify cooperation with Ankara and Baghdad to create solutions benefiting the entire region.

Both ministers condemned Israel’s recent attacks on Syrian territory, describing them as clear violations of international law and Syria’s sovereignty. They also reiterated the unified stance of Arab states in supporting Syria’s stability and reconstruction.

Fidan declared that eliminating the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) is only a matter of time, rejecting policies that enable the YPG’s continued presence in Syria. He affirmed Türkiye’s commitment to combating ISIS both domestically and abroad.

Safadi, who later met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed Jordan’s full support for Türkiye in its fight against terrorism and threats to its security. He underlined the importance of a dignified and stable life for Kurds within Syria’s diverse society, rejecting the resurgence of terrorism and warning against renewed internal conflict in Syria.



UN: Israel's War Plans Threaten 'Continued Existence' of Palestinians in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the damage at a school used as a shelter by displaced residents that was hit twice by Israeli army strikes on Tuesday, killing more than 25 people, in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians inspect the damage at a school used as a shelter by displaced residents that was hit twice by Israeli army strikes on Tuesday, killing more than 25 people, in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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UN: Israel's War Plans Threaten 'Continued Existence' of Palestinians in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the damage at a school used as a shelter by displaced residents that was hit twice by Israeli army strikes on Tuesday, killing more than 25 people, in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians inspect the damage at a school used as a shelter by displaced residents that was hit twice by Israeli army strikes on Tuesday, killing more than 25 people, in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The UN rights chief voiced deepened concerns Wednesday that Israel's plans to expand its offensive in Gaza aim to create conditions threatening Palestinians' "continued existence" in the territory.

Israel's military has called up tens of thousands of reservists for an expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip, which an official said would entail the "conquest" of the Palestinian territory.

"Israel's reported plans to forcibly transfer Gaza's population to a small area in the south of the Strip and threats by Israeli officials to deport Palestinians outside of Gaza further aggravate concerns that Israel's actions are aimed at inflicting on Palestinians conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group," Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

"There is no reason to believe that doubling down on military strategies, which, for a year and eight months, have not led to a durable resolution, including the release of all hostages, will now succeed," he said.

"Instead, expanding the offensive on Gaza will almost certainly cause further mass displacement, more deaths and injuries of innocent civilians, and the destruction of Gaza's little remaining infrastructure."

Nearly all of the Palestinian territory's 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once during the war, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

A more than two-month Israeli blockade on all aid into Gaza has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

According to AFP, Turk warned that stepping up the Israeli offensive "would only compound the misery and suffering inflicted by the complete blockade on the entry of basic goods for almost nine weeks now".

"Gaza's residents have already been deprived of all lifesaving necessities, particularly food, with relentless Israeli attacks on community kitchens and those trying to maintain a minimum of law and order," he said.

"Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime," Turk said, adding that "the only lasting solution to this crisis lies through full compliance with international law".

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 2,507 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in mid-March, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,615.