Turkey poised for military action as Syrian tensions rise
The Turkish Armed Forces have been put on high combat readiness due to the possibility of conducting an operation against Kurdish armed groups in Syria. This information was relayed to the pro-government newspaper "Türkiye" by sources from the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
According to these sources, Ankara has demanded the new Syrian authorities take action against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and is now preparing for "all scenarios," including military actions on Syrian territory.
Erdogan warns, "Take the necessary steps"
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, previously warned PKK members that Turkey would launch a military operation if they did not lay down their arms and cooperate with the new Syrian administration. Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also announced "taking the necessary steps" if there is a threat of Syria's disintegration due to the actions of Kurdish formations.
"The separatist murderers will either bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried in Syrian lands along with their weapons," Erdogan stated.
Ankara views the Kurdish autonomous regions in Syria as a terrorist organization and fears that Kurdish self-governance in Syria might bolster the separatist movement within Turkey. Meanwhile, Kurdish forces in Syria have collaborated with the United States in the fight against ISIS. After defeating this terrorist group, American troops remained in the oil-rich regions of Syria controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are predominantly Kurdish.
Turkey has valid concerns about the PKK and terrorism, and Washington is actively working to tackle many of these challenges, although it requires time, Blinken explained. He highlighted that conflict contradicts the positive developments in Syria and assured ongoing efforts to prevent such a scenario.
New political realities in Syria
At the end of October 2024, Syrian insurgents launched an offensive, resulting in the capture of the capital, Damascus, on December 8. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and, along with his family, received asylum in Russia. An Islamist organization, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which cooperates with Turkey, seized power in Syria.
