Foreign Ministry:

Turkey No Longer Sees Syrian Government as A Threat

TEHRAN (defapress) - Turkey's Foreign Minister has explained the country's position regarding the Syrian government and Kurdish People's Protection Units in light of Daesh's defeat and the state forces gaining control over the majority of territories previously seized by the opposition or militants.

News ID: 67432

Date: 12 December 2017 - 15:37

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has clarified that the country will coordinate an operation against Syria's Kurds with Russia if it is necessary.

The minister explained that Turkey does not oppose the Kurds' participation in the Syrian peace settlement, adding that the country has handed Russia a list of Kurdish forces it was ready to work with, Sputnik reported.

The statement was made amid circulating reports on the US' changed stance towards Syrian President Bashar Assad's rule.

Speaking in front lawmakers at a meeting of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on arms supplies to YPG, questioning Washington's true motives, and spoke of a US "plan in relation to Turkey."

According to Erdogan, the US broke a promise it made to Ankara to stop the flow of weapons to the YPG Kurdish militia (considered by Turkey as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union), following Daesh's defeat in Syria, and has engaged in a buildup of its military presence in the region.

The president has stated that Turkey was monitoring the situation regarding the growing number of US military bases and "will act in accordance with the situation's logic."