Turkey on high alert: Potential military move into Syria
The Turkish armed forces have been placed on full combat readiness due to the potential need for operations against Kurdish armed groups in Syria. This information was reported to the pro-government newspaper "Türkiye" by sources within the Turkish Ministry of Defence.
According to these sources, Ankara has demanded that the new Syrian authorities take action against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and is currently preparing for "all scenarios," including the possibility of military actions within the neighbouring country's territory.
Erdogan warns: "Taking necessary steps"
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, previously warned PKK representatives that Turkey would launch a military operation if they did not disarm and begin cooperating with the new Syrian administration. The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also announced "taking necessary steps" should there be a threat of Syria's disintegration due to actions by Kurdish groups.
The separatist murderers will either bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried in Syrian lands along with their weapons, emphasized Erdogan.
Ankara views Kurdish autonomy in Syria as a terrorist organisation and fears that Kurdish self-governance there could bolster separatist movements in Turkey. Meanwhile, Kurdish forces in Syria have worked with the United States in combating ISIS. Following the defeat of this terrorist group, American troops remained stationed in Syria's oil-rich regions controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which predominantly consist of Kurds.
In response to Turkish threats of a military operation against Kurdish groups, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that a new conflict is not in Syria's interest, and the United States is working to prevent it.
Turkey's concerns about the PKK and terrorism are valid, and Washington is actively working to tackle many of these challenges, though progress requires time, according to Blinken. He highlighted that a conflict would contradict the current positive developments in Syria and reaffirmed ongoing efforts to prevent such an outcome.
New political realities in Syria
In late October 2024, Syrian insurgents launched an offensive, capturing the capital—Damascus—on 8 December. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and, along with his family, was granted asylum in Russia. Power in Syria was seized by the Islamist organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has ties with Turkey.
