Türkiye organizes with its partners however doesn’t look for anybody’s consent for its security activities in Syria, as per the Turkish official representative.
In an interview that was broadcast on Sunday by Qatari television station Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Kalin stated, “We don’t ask for permission; we just coordinate with our allies when we face a threat to our national security.”
“Of course, in regards to the political situation in Syria, it continues to be a source of threat and uncertainty for everyone, not just for us but also for Iraq, Jordan, and other countries, (as well as) Europe, etc.,” Added he.
Operation Claw-Sword, Turkey’s cross-border aerial campaign against the terrorist group PKK/YPG, which has illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan and sometimes carry out attacks on Turkish soil, was launched last month in northern Iraq and Syria.
The attack, which resulted in the deaths of six people and the injuries of 81 others on the well-known Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, came just a few days after the terror group launched the operation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also announced a ground operation to eliminate the terror threat in northern Syria and Iraq after the air campaign began on November 20.
Read More: Erdogan Turkiye to launch Syria ground operation against terrorists.
Response after Istanbul attack
Following the attack, Türkiye “coordinated and conducted a number of air operations,” as Kalin explained.
We have clearly established that YPG/PYD was responsible for this attack. He continued, “We have the person who brought the bomb and carried out the attack, as well as people who facilitate that person’s arrival, a lady.”
The PKK’s strategy has evolved over time. They are employing individuals of other nationalities rather than Syrians, such as Kurds or others.to kind of cover-up,” he continued.
Kalin dismissed claims that Turkish air strikes had jeopardized US officers, emphasizing that Ankara doesn’t target regular citizens or American or Russian warriors.
We have a mechanism for preventing conflict between the Americans and the Russians. In Syria or anywhere else, we do not target Russian or American soldiers or military installations. We tell them to stay away from PKK, PYD, and YPG elements, which are our targets,” he stated.
He continued, “The PYD/YPG is using the American flag at one point, the Syrian regime flag at another to protect itself… sometimes they do this with the Russians, less so recently, but in the past.”
Read More: Turkiye neutralises 184 PKK/YPG terrorist in cross-border operation
Supporting legitimate Syrian opposition
Kalin also said that the US was supposed to get the YPG/PKK terrorists to move 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the Turkish border under a deal they signed in 2019, but the deal never happened.
He stated that Ankara “will continue to support the legitimate Syrian opposition… despite the fact that almost the entire world has forgotten them,” which includes the United States, Europe, and numerous Arab nations, regarding the political situation in Syria.
Kalin stated that President Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might meet: Although there is no immediate plan in place for such a meeting, our president is essentially communicating the following: I may be prepared to take that step if you behave responsibly, address security concerns, and permit the political process to proceed.
Source: AA
