ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara expects the US to refrain from “supporting the PKK terrorist organization,” which poses a threat to Türkiye.
“Particularly in the fight against ISIS (Daesh) in Syria, the US needs to reconsider its relationship parameters and step away from obligation to support the PKK, which poses a threat to Türkiye,” Fidan said in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Wednesday.
“This is a critical national security issue for us. Because the US considers it a tactical situation to keep ISIS (Daesh) members in prison. However, supporting the PKK while doing so is a national security concern for us, and it is a truly toxic issue between us and the US. This has to end,” he said.
Pointing out that trade relations and potential with the US are "intense," he said exports between the two countries have been continuing in many areas.
He said there is technological cooperation with the US that needs to be developed further structurally and that there is a need to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector.
Even though the new administration will be unable to reach an agreement with Syria's PKK/YPG terrorist organization, which seeks its own governance and power base, Fidan expressed hope for a peaceful solution to this major problem.
Türkiye advises Syria's new administration that ensuring equal access to constitutional citizenship would significantly contribute to societal peace.
Stressing that the second crucial tenet of this peace is that no entity, other than legal state organs, should carry weapons, Fidan warned, “The fact that the PKK and its affiliated elements occupy one-third of Syria's territory, most of which are Arab cities, means that the PKK has occupied areas where Arabs live.”
Drawing attention to the fact that the US and European countries continue to support the PKK/YPG for the prison service they provide, the Turkish foreign minister said in exchange for holding ISIS (Daesh) prisoners in their prison, the terrorist organization occupied one-third of Syria's territory "via a lie."
Fidan said terrorists from Iraq, Türkiye, and Iran are being sheltered on Syrian territory, citing "threats to Syria's territorial integrity, threats to Iraq's territorial integrity, and threats to Türkiye," and urged that this needs to be resolved.
He pointed out that there are certain initiatives taken by the government and that the "friendship" between Ankara and the President of the Kurdish Regional Government is "extremely advanced."
Emphasizing the tremendous solidarity between Türkiye and “its Kurdish brothers” in the KRG in the fight against terrorism, Fidan said: "They, too, have unfortunately been subjected to the PKK's attacks, crimes, and offenses. In response, we show solidarity.”
“Therefore, they too have efforts and initiatives to encourage the PKK to disband and lay down its arms,” he said.
The minister said Türkiye has been supporting the Syrian opposition from the beginning and that this support has become “more important” in recent years as millions of Syrians have arrived in Türkiye.
Stressing that more than 5 million people lived in areas under the control of the opposition during that time, he said Türkiye has been trying to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire to prevent the people from coming to Türkiye.
Regarding other countries' concerns about Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the shift in his approach, Fidan said he "had recognized his mistakes, learned lessons, and taken on social responsibility in Idlib, attempting to meet the basic needs of 4 million people."
State governance cannot be achieved solely through ideology but rather through such responsibilities and services, he said, urging the new administration to consider Türkiye's suggestion in this regard.
The Turkish foreign minister said that during the Assad regime, Syria became a threat to its region and everyone, and "Now, the way to get rid of this is to have a government that addresses all of Syria, preserves Syria's territorial integrity, and is at peace with the Syrian people—one that originates from the Syrian people and that serves Syria's interests.”
Regarding Iran's policies in response to developments in Syria, Fidan said: “Iran's approach of conducting foreign policy through militias in regional countries has been a high-risk policy for a long time. While Iran has made some progress, the cost of maintaining those gains is higher. Iran has had to make far greater sacrifices to maintain its gains in Iraq and Syria.”
He told Iranian officials that this foreign policy approach needed to change, the minister said, emphasizing that while such policies may be successful in the short term, they place a significant long-term and structural burden on both Iran's system and the region.
- Free from culture of domination by one country
Emphasizing the need for the region to break free from the culture of domination by one country, Fidan said: "Neither Arabs, nor Turks, nor Kurds, nor Iranians should have anything to do with domination, disturbing each other, or posing threats to one another."
He emphasized the importance of countries working together to solve their problems, ensuring security, prosperity, and wealth for one another, and avoiding being sources of threats or oppression.
Regarding claims that Iran might support the PKK/YPG terrorist organization under the name of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, Fidan said continuing such policies, as Iran has in the past, would not be the right path.
He underlined that Syria belongs to the Syrian people and that no one should impose their sovereignty by dictating what Syria should do. This approach goes against his own morals and Türkiye's foreign policy, he added.
Despite the growing problems in Syria, the Turkish foreign minister pointed out that the responsibility for resolving Syria's problems lies with the country itself, not Iran or Russia.
On the Palestine issue, Fidan said the killing, imprisonment, and occupation of Palestinian lands without regard for women and children, as well as the ongoing deterioration of Jerusalem's status, are unacceptable.
“Currently, Netanyahu is exploiting the region's military weakness, backed by the US' infinite power, and using psychological operations to spread a false narrative. The policies he is pursuing in the region will not benefit Israel in the long term,” he warned.
Stating that Saudi Arabia has made a "serious and honorable move" on any potential normalization with Israel, Fidan said: "Linking normalization to a two-state solution is an extremely important matter. This is a stance that strengthens both Jordan's and Egypt's positions," urging their "strong" stance to be supported.
The normalization process has two aspects, with the first being the agreement and relations between the US and Saudi Arabia and the second being the part related to normalization with Israel, said Fidan, added: "From the discussions I've had, I don't believe normalization will happen unless the two-state solution is implemented and accepted."
US President Donald Trump could play a "historic role," Fidan said, adding: "Just like he did with the Ukraine issue, how did he stop the war? Here, too, the only person who can pressure Israel and Netanyahu on the two-state solution, which is accepted by the entire world, is President Trump."
He underlined that if Trump chooses to take such action, he could not only take wiser steps regarding Israel's security but also make significant progress toward Arab stability and the Palestinians achieving statehood. Normalization in the region will also take load off US shoulders, the Turkish foreign minister added.
Plans can be made only up to a point with the support of others and by influencing the US mindset; however, Fidan warned that this is not a sustainable or guaranteed policy. "What are you going to do if the US happens to change its mind tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow," he asked.
