ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that no terrorist group should pose a threat to Türkiye or any other country in the region, especially given the current situation in Syria.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara, Fidan said: “Under the guise of fighting ISIS (Daesh), the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), which pursues a divisive agenda, must abandon this equation.”

Emphasizing that the SDF has a particular agenda and is acting in line with it, Fidan said the group should not feign prudence, adding that a solution that would benefit both sides and serve Syria's unity and integrity must be found.

He said that the international community needs to change its approach in the fight against ISIS, emphasizing that the Syrian government has the will to carry out coordinated operations against them.

"We must all work together to support Syria in terms of the necessary capabilities and capacity to fulfill this will. Türkiye will continue to contribute to the development of the Syrian government's capabilities to fight ISIS," said Fidan.

The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.

On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into state institutions, stressing the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting any separatist designs. The group, however, has violated the agreement more than once.