Turkiye warns to increase offensives against YPG if demands not met
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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warns that the military would mount its operations against the Kurdish YPG in Syria if the latter does not comply with its demands.
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A flag of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, flies on a building in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkiye, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 (AP)
Turkiye has warned of a potential cross-border offensive into northeastern Syria if the Kurdish YPG militia does not meet Ankara's demands, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday. He also called on Syria's new leadership to address the issue, emphasizing the importance of resolving the YPG's presence in the region.
Turkiye considers the YPG, a key component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist organization linked to the PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades. Ankara has repeatedly urged its NATO ally, Washington, to cease support for the group and has conducted multiple military operations against the YPG in northern Syria, securing control over certain areas.
Following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, among other organizations, some of which have Turkish backing, Ankara has issued specific demands: the disbandment of the YPG, the removal or repatriation of its non-Syrian and foreign fighters, and the surrender of its leadership.
Speaking to CNN Turk, Fidan stated that Turkiye expects the new Syrian administration to take action against the YPG but acknowledged that the transitional period in Damascus could delay progress. When asked about Turkiye's course of action if the issue remains unresolved, Fidan affirmed that Turkiye would take "whatever is necessary," clarifying that this could include a military operation. However, he expressed confidence in the new Syrian leadership's capability to confront the YPG independently.
The SDF has faced increasing challenges since al-Assad's fall. It continues to oversee prison camps housing ISIS fighters, but Turkiye has proposed that the new Syrian administration assume responsibility for these facilities.
Fidan, the first foreign minister to visit Damascus since al-Assad’s removal, revealed that President Tayyip Erdogan had directed Turkish forces to manage the camp prisons if the Syrian leadership is unable to take charge.
Turkiye strikes civilian convoy in northeast
The SDF Media Center announced Tuesday that Turkish drones bombed a convoy of civilians from northern and eastern Syria as they were heading to Tishreen Dam to demand an end to the “Turkish attacks on the dam,” which is the main source of water and electricity for the people of the region.
The Turkish bombing resulted in deaths and injuries among the civilian convoy, the center indicated.
The center confirmed that "Turkish warplanes bombed Tishreen Dam and its vicinity with several raids, coinciding with attacks carried out by mercenary factions affiliated with Turkey on villages north of Tishreen Dam and southeast of Manbij, where violent clashes are taking place between the Manbij Military Council forces and the mercenaries."
