The new administration in Syria needs to be given an opportunity to control following their constructive messages, and Turkey stands prepared to supply navy coaching if such assistance is requested, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated.
NATO member Turkey backed the Syrian rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad final weekend, ending a 13-year civil struggle. Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.
“In their first assertion, the brand new administration that toppled Assad introduced that it could 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 provide them an opportunity.”
When requested whether or not Turkey was contemplating navy cooperation with the brand new Syrian authorities, Guler stated Ankara already had navy cooperation and coaching agreements with many nations.
“(Turkey) is able to present the required assist if the brand new administration requests it,” he added.
Since 2016, Turkey has mounted 4 navy operations throughout rising swathes of northern Syria, citing threats to its nationwide safety.
Turkey is estimated to take care of just a few thousand troops in cities together with Afrin, Azez and Jarablus in northwestern Syria and Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad within the northeast.
Ankara could talk about and reevaluate the problem of Turkey’s navy presence in Syria with the brand new Syrian administration “when needed circumstances come up,” Guler stated.
Turkey’s precedence stays the elimination of the Kurdish YPG militia, a part of a US-backed Syrian opposition group, and it has made this clear to Washington, Guler stated.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls a few of Syria’s largest oil fields, is the primary ally within the US coalition in opposition to Islamic State militants. It is spearheaded by the YPG, a bunch that Ankara sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), whose militant fighters have battled the Turkish state for 40 years.
“In the brand new interval, the PKK/YPG terrorist group in Syria will likely be eradicated eventually,” Guler stated.
“Members of the group coming from exterior Syria will go away Syria. Those who’re Syrian will lay down their weapons.”
Guler stated Turkey noticed no signal of a resurgence of Islamic State in Syria, opposite to the US view.
“Has anybody heard of any assaults by DAESH terrorists in Syria within the final three years? We do not see or hear something about DAESH in the mean time,” he stated, utilizing the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
Turkey has previously informed the US that Ankara may deploy three commando brigades in Syria to battle Islamic State, and to run al-Hol, the detention camp for IS households, Guler stated, including that Washington had rejected each presents.
“Instead, they cooperated with the PKK/YPG terrorist group beneath the banner of combating DAESH. But you may’t battle one terrorist group with one other terrorist group.”
Russia’s involvement
Asked concerning the future involvement in Syria of Russia, a longstanding ally of Assad which final weekend granted him asylum, Guler stated he noticed no signal of an entire Russian withdrawal.
Russia, he stated, is transferring its navy belongings from completely different elements 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’ll to remain,” he stated.
