Turkey urges Syria's new leaders to take action against SDF
Turkey’s top diplomat called for strengthened counterterrorism cooperation following a landmark meeting with his Syrian counterpart.
ANKARA — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday called on the new Syrian administration to take action against what he described as terrorism after a landmark meeting with Syria’s interim foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, who visited Ankara on Wednesday.
“We welcome the new administration’s resolve in the fight against terrorism,” Fidan said, speaking during a joint presser with Shibani after the meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half. “Now this needs to be turned into action.”
In addition to the Islamic State, Turkey also deems Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces as a top national security threat, equating it with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting for self-rule inside Turkey since 1984.
Fidan said that Turkey was ready to leverage its resources, from intelligence sharing to enhancing military capabilities, in a bid to foster cooperation with the new Syrian administration on the issue.
