Turkey fast to ascertain details on the bottom in Syria, affords army coaching

Turkish Defense Miniter Yasar Guler mentioned on Sunday that his nation stands prepared to offer army coaching to the brand new Syria safety forces, if requested – in what may very well be thought-about one other signal of Ankara’s ambition to turn into the brand new Damascus patron, underneath the management of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey which borders Syria from the north has for the previous 13 years of the Syrian civil battle, backed the rebels combating the Assad regime. But, up to now two years when it appeared that the Syrian management had the higher hand within the battle, Turkey tried to enhance its relations with Damascus. Last month it appeared Turkey was behind the insurgent offensive that finally introduced the regime down.

The chance that the Jihadists of Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) would now repay the Turkish chief is trigger for concern not solely to the Kurds in northern Syria, Turkey’s long-time enemies, but in addition Israel – which Erdogan has grown extra belligerent towards because the Oct. 7 bloodbath.

Signs that Turkey was fast to ascertain details on the bottom had been obvious final week. On Thursday, The Turkish intelligence chief was the primary overseas senior official to go to Damascus because the rebels took management of the nation the place he met with insurgent leaders. On Saturday, Turkey reopened its embassy in Syria, practically 15 years after it was closed in response to Assad’s bloodbath of his opponents.

“In their first assertion, the brand new administration that toppled Assad introduced that it will respect all authorities establishments, the United Nations and different worldwide organizations,” Guler informed reporters in Ankara in feedback approved for publication on Sunday. “We assume that we have to see what the brand new administration will do and to present them an opportunity.”

” When requested whether or not Turkey was contemplating army cooperation with the brand new Syrian authorities, Guler mentioned Ankara already had army cooperation and coaching agreements with many international locations. “(Turkey) is able to present the required help if the brand new administration requests it,” he added.

Turkey has just a few hundred troops in northern Syria and had carried out 4 army operations there since 2016, towards “threats to Turkish safety,” as Guler known as it. He mentioned his authorities could reevaluate Turkish army presence in Syria with the brand new management “when circumstances are ripe.”

In his briefing to reporters the protection minister mentioned Turkey’s major purpose was and is to abolish the Kurdish YPG, which it claims is a part of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), thought-about a terrorist group in Turkey and the U.S.

YPG is likely one of the main forces within the “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that now controls a few of Syria’s largest oil fields. It can be a senior associate within the U.S. led coalition towards ISIS, so its future could be a degree of competition between Ankara and Washington.

Guler mentioned the PKK and the YPG in Syria could be eradicated, in the end and its members whom he claimed got here from outdoors Syria must go away and people who are Syrians could be made to put down their arms.

The protection minister additionally claimed that regardless of warnings from the U.S., Turkey had not recognized any resurgence of ISIS.

Turkey has up to now informed the U.S. that Ankara may deploy three commando brigades in Syria to struggle Islamic State, and to run al-Hol, the detention camp for IS households, Guler mentioned, including that Washington had rejected each affords.

“Instead, they cooperated with the PKK/YPG terrorist group underneath the banner of combating DAESH. But you may’t struggle one terrorist group with one other terrorist group.”

Asked in regards to the future involvement in Syria of Russia, a longstanding ally of Assad which final weekend granted him asylum, Guler mentioned he noticed no signal of a whole Russian withdrawal.

Russia, he mentioned, is shifting its army property from totally different components of Syria to its two bases within the nation – the Hmeimim air base at Latakia and a naval base in Tartous.

“I do not assume the Russians are going to go away (Syria). They’ll do all the pieces they will to remain,” he mentioned.

On Sunday, every week after the autumn of the Assad regime, most colleges reopened. Foreign journalists who had been at a Damascus boys highschool mentioned the scholars appeared joyful and cheered when the precept raised the Free Syria flag

In one classroom, a pupil pasted the brand new flag on a wall. “I’m optimistic and really joyful,” mentioned pupil Salah al-Din Diab. “I used to stroll on the street scared that I’d get drafted to army service. I was afraid after I attain a checkpoint.”