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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not apparently abandoned his military plans against Kurdish forces in Syria after meeting with his Russia and Iranian counterparts in Tehran on July 19.
Speaking after the trilateral summit with President Vladimir Putin and President Ebrahim Raisi, Erdogan renewed warnings that Ankara could launch a new military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria. Erdogan, Putin and Raisi gathered for the 7th summit in the Astana format to discuss the situation in Syria and resolve differences.
“Terrorism of PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party], PYD [Democratic Union Party], and YPG [People’s Protection Units] is a common issue for all of us. We should not forget that the terrorist organization targets the territorial integrity of Syria,” the president told a press conference following the summit. “As Turkey, we do not see any difference between terrorist organizations. Our fight against terrorist organizations will always continue regardless of where and by whom they are supported.”
The PKK, PYD and YPG are the spine of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition that controls vast parts of northern and northeastern Syria with direct support from the US.
Erdogan repeated his threats to SDF-held Tell Rifaat and Manbij in northern Syria, calling the two towns “hotbeds for terrorism”.
During the press conference, President Putin said that Russia, Turkey and Iran condemn the increased presence and activities of terrorist group in Syria, as well as “illegal self-government initiatives” in the country under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Putin also emphasized that the cooperation with Turkey is developing “dynamically” in all fields.
“Syria’s future must be determined by Syrians themselves and without any dictation from the outside,” Putin said.
From his side, President Raisi held the US responsible for the current situation in Syria. The president said that the US presence in northeastern Syria is “unacceptable” and they should leave the region.
“We emphasized that the Syrian government must have control over all areas in the country. Therefore, there is no justification for the presence of Americans east of Euphrates and they must exit that area,” Raisi told the press conference.
In a joint statement after the summit, the three leaders “expressed their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations”. However, they also “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism” and committed themselves to maintaining Syria’s sovereignty. They also agreed that calm must be maintained in the “de-escalation” area previously negotiated in and around the northwestern region of Greater Idlib.
The Damascus government was hoping that Turkey would abandon its plans for a new operation in Syria after the trilateral summit in Tehran. Syrian Foreign Minister was even in the Iranian capital at the time. However, Ankara is clearly still determined to go on with its military plans.
Erdogan’s remarks indicate that the Turkish military and its proxies could launch their new operation against the SDF very soon. The upcoming operation could lead to a confrontation with Syrian government forces, who have been preparing to support the SDF. The situation in Syria will likely deteriorate on all levels.
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