Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday that Turkey is ready to intervene if Syria’s unity is threatened, particularly by the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The YPG, which is the main component of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is regarded by Ankara as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an outlawed group engaged in an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s.
“We will not consent to the disintegration of Syria or the disruption of its unitary structure under any guise,” Erdoğan said. He warned that groups like the YPG must disband or face military action.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reinforced this stance, describing the eradication of the YPG in Syria as “imminent.”
Speaking alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Ankara, Fidan criticized Western support for the SDF and cautioned against using the fight against ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) as a justification for aiding Kurdish forces.
Fidan said Ankara would not accept any policy that permits the YPG to maintain a presence there.
Turkey has conducted several military incursions into northern Syria during the Syrian civil war to push back the YPG and establish buffer zones. Erdoğan highlighted that the new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, shares Turkey’s determination to maintain Syria’s territorial integrity and eliminate Kurdish militias.
While Turkey remains focused on eliminating Kurdish forces, it has also expressed concerns about the resurgence of ISIL in the region. Fidan emphasized the importance of preventing ISIL from exploiting the current instability to rebuild its strength.
“[ISIL] is a poison for Muslim societies,” Fidan said. He reiterated Turkey’s commitment to combating terrorism in all forms while ensuring Syria’s unity.
Turkey’s stance has drawn criticism from Kurdish groups and their Western allies, particularly the United States, which views the SDF as a critical partner in the fight against ISIL. The SDF played a leading role in dismantling ISIL’s so-called caliphate between 2014 and 2019 and continues to oversee detention centers housing ISIL fighters.
