ISTANBUL/ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that the biggest current risk in the region is “Israeli expansionism through Syria,” adding that Ankara continues consultations with the United States and other partners to prevent further destabilization.

“The greatest risk is the continuation of Israeli expansionism via Syria. This is the subject we discuss most often, including with the Americans,” he said.​​​​​​​

He underlined that Türkiye maintains structured communication channels with Damascus to manage political, security and humanitarian files.

“We are carrying out the Syria issue in a very systematic and institutional manner,” he said.

Building unified security architecture inside Syria

"There is a high-level strategic board chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and a technical coordination committee led by Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz. All detailed issues, from refugees to trade and energy, are handled within this framework.”

Fidan said the unification of the armed groups under one military structure in Syria was progressing, calling it “a major transition” that was “largely achieved.” He added that the March priority under the March 10 understanding is the withdrawal of the PKK/YPG terror group from Arab-majority areas. “Everyone expects this to happen soon. Otherwise, serious clashes could occur,” he said.

The Syrian presidency announced an agreement on March 10 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.

He warned that the PKK/YPG's “occupation-minded and colonial attitude” must end, stressing that such approaches obstruct the normalization process.

Fidan noted that recent incidents in Latakia and Sweida had temporarily disrupted state-building and institutional capacity efforts.

Fighting erupted in the Latakia and Sweida provinces in the summer, drawing regional attention to renewed tensions within Syria.

“Crisis areas must be managed well, and significant progress has been made,” he said. “However, the main danger lies in Israel’s policy of creating security through others’ weakness -- a risky and unsustainable strategy. Syria should threaten no one, but no one should threaten Syria either.”

Fidan described the Syrian issue as “a first-degree national security matter” for Türkiye. “Everything that happens there affects our territorial integrity and citizens’ safety. Our position reflects that reality,” he said.

Türkiye-US contacts on Syria

He said Türkiye remains in close contact with Washington, and the Trump administration is “bringing back its comprehensive approach to Syria.”

“We see that the Trump administration is applying its own full-scale approach again, as in other regions. Our constructive stance in this process is crucial,” he said.

Fidan noted that US envoy Tom Barrack now plays an expanded role, including engagement on Syria and Lebanon. He confirmed diplomatic coordination, and said a trilateral meeting with the US, Türkiye, and Syria is being planned.

On refugee returns, Fidan said nearly 500,000 Syrians have returned from Türkiye through various routes. “Returns are continuing as stability improves. For the economy to function, for institutions to operate, this returning population is essential,” he said.

Fidan reiterated that PKK/YPG-linked structures still pose a threat to Türkiye. “For us, this is a national security issue. The YPG has yet to make any declaration or take any step showing it no longer threatens Türkiye,” he said.

He added that Türkiye’s policy is based on equality and justice for all Syrians, regardless of identity. “We defend the rights of every community -- Kurd, Arab, Turk, Sunni, Shiite, Christian, Yazidi -- but we cannot tolerate any organization whose existence is built on harming Türkiye,” he said.