Concerns are mounting in Türkiye over potential scenarios in Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The warnings come as clashes persist between Turkish-backed factions and the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Aleppo, alongside ongoing Turkish airstrikes targeting SDF positions east of the Euphrates.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the People’s Alliance, has sounded the alarm over plans being drawn up for Syria ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Bahçeli cautioned that developments in Syria could escalate quickly, emphasizing the risks of instability in the region as Türkiye presses its campaign against Kurdish-led forces it considers a threat.
Fatih Erbakan, leader of the New Welfare Party, has voiced concerns over developments in Syria, warning of a potential partition of the war-torn country into four separate states.
Erbakan speculated that plans might be underway to establish an autonomous region along Türkiye’s border for the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the largest components of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Such a move, he cautioned, would pose a significant security challenge for Türkiye, which views the PYD and YPG as extensions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erbakan raised alarms over reports of negotiations to partition Syria into four autonomous regions.
In a televised interview, Erbakan cited reports in US, Israeli, and French media suggesting efforts to divide Syria and establish autonomous zones, including one for Kurdish groups along Türkiye’s border.
Erbakan warned that after the destabilization of Iraq and Syria, Iran and Türkiye could be next, urging Ankara to act decisively to prevent Syria’s division and preserve its territorial integrity.
