Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed on Sunday that his country and the United States are in agreement on the importance of Syria’s stability and need to preserve its unity.
He revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had discussed Syria during his talks with US President Trump at the White House on Thursday.
Speaking to Turkish journalists on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Fidan said Syria’s stability was important for its internal security and the security of the region, especially given that millions of Syrian refugees are still outside their country.
The FM addressed the American mediation between Syria and Israel, saying Syria was being discussed at “all international talks.”
Syria is important for the security of the region and for Türkiye, he went on to say. “Above all else, this is an existential issue for the Syrians themselves.”
Moreover, Fidan said the recent Israeli threats against Syria have “made the situation more complicated with the country already dealing with crises that had accumulated during Bashar al-Assad's rule.”
He described the international support to Syria as an extraordinary diplomatic success, adding that Türkiye, the countries of the region, European Union and US are all in agreement over supporting the new Syrian authorities and helping in reconstruction.
The Israeli attacks, however, have started to “change the equation and the ongoing discussions and diplomatic efforts are seeking solutions that would preserve the security of the Syrians,” continued Fidan.
Fidan also discussed the March 10 agreement between the new Syrian authorities and the US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that calls for the merger of the People’s Protection Units with the state’s security forces.
The threats from these groups are under “constant follow-up between Ankara and Damascus, and between Ankara, Damascus and Washington,” said the FM.
Türkiye has repeatedly accused the SDF of failing to respect the agreement and has threatened to resort to force if it doesn’t carry out its end of the deal.
Erdogan had met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
Sharaa had warned that Türkiye may resort to force to make the SDF comply with the agreement by the end of December. Türkiye has not elaborated on whether it would launch an attack against the Kurdish forces.
