ANKARA
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that the YPG/SDF terror group does not represent Syrian Kurds, as he spoke to Turkish news channel NTV.
"These are not independent actors. They are not actors that represent Syrian Kurds,” he said. “This is a reality. These people are the Syrian branch of an illegal structure with political objectives spanning four parts.”
Addressing possible different influence groups within the YPG/SDF and the role of SDF head Mazloum Abdi, Fidan stressed that Abdi is "a figure put on display," while underlining that the group is an extension of the PKK/KCK terror group.
He noted that if there is goodwill, the process should start with the removal of non-Syrian PKK members from Syria.
Fidan said there may be a possibility of extending the four-day ceasefire between the government and the group, which took effect Jan. 20, during the transfer of ISIS (Daesh) prisoners from Syria to Iraq.
"Ideally, the transfer of Daesh prisoners from Syria should take place. While this is happening, the existing non-conflict environment needs to be maintained," he noted.
Pointing to the sensitivity of the situation on the ground, Fidan underscored that the presence of US forces and Daesh prisoners made the dispute between the SDF and government forces more complex.
Asked whether Damascus could launch an operation in Ayn al-Arab, Hasakah or Qamishli if no agreement is reached during the ceasefire, Fidan said there is a process under US mediation to implement the Jan. 18 agreement.
Commenting on the rapid advances made by the Damascus government against the YPG/SDF on the ground in the last two weeks, Fidan noted that developments came as no surprise to him.
"When Arabs in Arab-populated areas rise up against the occupying force, knowing that government forces are behind them and that the Americans have already withdrawn their support from this misguided practice, there is no meaning in staying there,” he said.
He reaffirmed that President Donald Trump's foreign policy aimed at avoiding direct US involvement in regional problems and instead encouraged regional countries to take ownership of the issues overlaps with Türkiye's policy for the region.
"Türkiye’s sensitivity in the fight against Daesh is already clear. When you also consider the importance we attach to Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, as well as to the cultural identities of minorities, ethnic groups and religious communities, and put all of this together, there is frankly no other reason for America to remain there from its own perspective," he said.
Fidan also reiterated the need to properly understand the core assumptions of the “terror-free Türkiye” process.
"Saying ‘I will not carry out terrorist acts in Türkiye’ does not mean you have reached a terror-free Türkiye. While tens of thousands of armed individuals remain across the border and have not abandoned their intent toward you, believing that you will remain terror-free here would be self-deception,” he said.
‘Struggle on the ground is coming to the negotiating table’
Addressing developments in the Gaza Strip and the newly established Board of Peace, a body to resolve international conflicts, Fidan signaled that the region is "entering a period in which the struggle on the ground is coming to the negotiating table.”
He noted that the Board of Peace currently focuses on Gaza as a "priority and urgent issue" and that there is no discussion at this stage about where its scope might extend beyond the region.
Fidan said the process of admitting new members to the Board of Peace will be awaited, noting that some countries have asked for time, potentially bringing the total to 25 - 30.
He stressed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a clear will to do whatever is necessary to resolve the problems in Palestine.
“There is also the will regarding military assistance, if the necessary conditions are met. But for now, we are trying to shape those conditions on the diplomatic ground," he added.
On whether Hamas would hand over its weapons, Fidan noted that disarmament is an issue already included in the existing roadmap.
"Once security services are provided, humanitarian aid is delivered, and the international community guarantees that there will be no further attacks, this process will unfold naturally in parallel,” said Fidan.
'Signs Israel may seek to attack Iran'
Addressing protests in Iran, Fidan said the country has experienced such periods before and large demonstrations have occurred from time to time.
"Interpreting economic reactions as purely regime-opposition demands is not always a realistic analysis in Iran. There are intertwined dynamics and gray areas that must be carefully understood,” he stressed.
Referring to claims of possible US attacks on Iran, Fidan underscored that regional countries do not want a war or renewed large-scale uncertainty.
“We frankly do not want another major wound to open while we are just beginning to heal the wounds in Syria and Iraq,” he said.
Fidan noted that there could be "signs that Israel is seeking to attack Iran."
Comments on recent developments on Greenland, Ukraine
Fidan also pointed to developments regarding Greenland and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
He stressed it is well known that the US has long harbored strategic ambitions about Greenland, which resurfaced under different administrations.
“If Europeans continue to frame Greenland as entirely Danish territory, this could ultimately mean territorial loss and even the unraveling of the alliance, because it creates the impression that one NATO member is eyeing the territory of another,” he said, adding that while there are legal arguments and differing approaches, “there is a rupture at the end of the day.”
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan noted that peace efforts have come close on paper, with most issues converging on similar points, but the deadlock cannot be overcome unless the “territorial issue” is resolved.
