Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that resolving the conflict in Syria should be based on the roadmap endorsed in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.
Speaking on the first day of the UN High-level General Debate, the Turkish President asserted that the Syrian-owned and -led political process, initiated under UN mediation, should be brought to a successful conclusion.
“This is the only way that Syria can achieve a lasting peace, while preserving its territorial integrity and political unity,” he underscored.
Erdogan called on the international community to fight the Kurdish militant PKK-YPG organization and its expansion in Syria the same way it dealt with the terrorist ISIS organization.
Meanwhile, Anadolu Agency quoted local sources as saying that US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey had claimed during a meeting on Monday with YPG/PKK leaders and Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS) representatives that Turkey will not launch a new military operation in the region.
During the Hassakeh meeting that included Joel Rayburn, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Levant Affairs, Jeffrey called on both Kurdish groups to reach reconciliation as soon as possible, the sources said.
Democratic Union Party spokeswoman Sama Bakdash said the Hassakeh meeting lasted around 90 minutes.
“The US envoy ruled out any Turkish military operation in the area,” Bakdash noted, adding that Jeffrey informed them that US President Donald Trump had agreed with Erdogan that following the Peace Spring operation, Turkey would not infiltrate new territories.
“In case Ankara does not respect the agreement, Washington would impose economic sanctions on Turkey,” the spokeswoman said.
On Tuesday, Jeffrey visited Erbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish-Iraqi region and met with Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani.
The US envoy thanked Barzani and the KRG for their positive role in the negotiations between Kurdish groups in northern Syria to come closer and to resolve their problems.
He affirmed the US and Coalition would continue their support for Kurds and their partners to help them defeat ISIS militants, a statement issued by the Kurdish presidency said.
Separately, commenting on talks to unify Kurdish ranks in Rojava between delegations of the Kurdish National Unity Parties (PYNK) and the ENKS, Bakdash said it was agreed that the number of the Supreme Kurdish Authority members would be 40.
