Embassy staff currently on their way to Syrian capital to 'start operations tomorrow,' says Hakan Fidan
The Turkish Embassy in Damascus is set to open Saturday, Türkiye's foreign minister announced late Friday.
“They (embassy staff) are on their way as a team. The embassy will start operations tomorrow,” Hakan Fidan told private broadcaster, NTV.
On the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime earlier this month in the face of rapid anti-regime advances, Fidan said Türkiye "paved the way for this to happen in a bloodless manner" by continuing to pursue talks with "two key actors," referring to Russia and Iran.
He underlined that Syria now has a "sovereign national government" capable of reclaiming its territory, adding that this government would not recognize the authority of neither the PKK/YPG terror group, nor "any other power" on its soil.
Fidan said before the latest developments, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was controlling an area where 5 million Syrians were living and highlighted that they have gained experience in providing municipal services, education services, basic services, transportation and many other services in the past 5-6 years.
Fidan highlighted Türkiye's strategic goal of eliminating the PKK/YPG, further adding: “Either they dissolve themselves or they will be dissolved.”
He underlined that Israel has developed a strategy to destroy the capabilities of the new administration in Syria and said Israel wants to open a space in Syria where it can conduct air and ground operations “whenever it deems necessary.”
He said Ankara has sent a message to Tel Aviv, warning them to abandon this "dangerous strategy."
The Israeli army captured the buffer zone in Syria's occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, shortly after Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu announced the collapse of a UN-monitored disengagement agreement with Damascus.
Anti-regime forces seized Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and 53 years of rule by his family.
- Number of returns to Syria will increase as conditions improve
Fidan emphasized his trust in the Syrian administration and people regarding the return of Syrians.
"As conditions improve there and a sense of continuity develops here, I believe the number of returns will undoubtedly increase," he said.
No one would accept PKK terrorists coming from Türkiye, Iraq, Iran and Europe to the region, extracting oil, selling it globally through smugglers via northern Iraq, and using the revenue to sustain the terror organization, he added.
Fidan said the goal in the new era is to persuade the international community and regional actors to support and embrace Syrians and the newly established administration in Damascus, working together to restore stability.
Noting that the civil war began in 2011, Fidan noted that the Syrian people protested shortcomings and oppression caused by poor governance, which ultimately led to the outbreak of the war.
"There hasn't been a single working day or even a normal day where I haven't thought about Syria," said Fidan, emphasizing that the issue has always been a priority on Türkiye's agenda.
He noted that Syrians began organizing from the very onset of the crisis and established the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The Free Syrian Army continued its activities until 2016, and Fidan said the Friends of Syria platform stood by the Syrian opposition throughout the Astana process.
He pointed out, however, that after a change in approach by the US, regional and European actors shifted their strategies on the ground.
"The strategic focus was shifted from actively supporting the opposition to combating Daesh. This later created enormous geo-strategic problems for them. Their influence was felt in other areas as well."
Fidan said the opposition entered Aleppo almost without firing a weapon, which he attributed to the regime's extreme weakness.
He pointed out that the reason for the opposition's quick progress toward assuming control in Syria was due to behind-the-scenes negotiations and the Assad regime's inability to gain support.
Fidan said he considers some concerns about the HTS completely natural but emphasized that those concerns need to be addressed.
He highlighted that to resolve the concerns he had separate meetings with the foreign ministers of all Arab countries after Aleppo fell during.
The foreign minister noted that the international community has accepted the parameters outlined by Türkiye on the issue.
Fidan emphasized that the goal is to have a structure in Syria where terrorism does not exist, terror organizations like the PKK/YPG and Daesh do not receive support, minorities are not mistreated and basic needs are met.
He added that no one should be involved with weapons of mass destruction, there should be no threats to regional countries and Syria's unity, integrity and peace should be ensured through an inclusive and encompassing government.
Fidan said they shared those concerns with the administration in Damascus and expected it to take the necessary steps to address them.
Noting that concerns continue to exist in some countries, Fidan had this appeal to regional nations: "Let's approach the Syria issue differently from other matters."
"Let's work together to resolve it constructively, positively, and with a happy ending. All countries should join in a common effort here," he said.
- US-PYD/YPG terror group relationship
Fidan said Türkiye and the US have maintained two fundamentally opposing positions on the PYD/YPG terror organization from the very beginning.
"This is a vital and existential issue related to our national security, and we are a country that has approached this matter with the utmost seriousness," said Fidan.
He highlighted that Syrian opposition groups have fought the regime for years and endured incredible suffering and losses.
“Now they are reclaiming their homeland. Naturally, they will take steps to ensure the unity of their country," he said. "What will happen next is this: We believe that as the Damascus administration takes steps to maintain its national unity and territorial integrity, YPG will no longer find much ground to stand on."
- Türkiye's strategy on YPG terror group
Although Türkiye has the resources and capabilities to act, initially, Türkiye will wait for the new administration in Syria to take steps to neutralize the PKK/YPG threat, according to Fidan.
On the other hand, especially as the YPG is being eliminated, care must be taken to ensure that the Kurds, who have lived in the ancient cities of the region for centuries, do not come to harm, he added.
“This is because the oppression that YPG has inflicted on Arabs and Kurds has always been evident. They are being held under pressure and control through coercion," he said.
Fidan emphasized that, in the first phase, all non-Syrian international terror fighters within the ranks of the YPG/PKK must leave the country as soon as possible.
In the second phase, he stressed that the entire YPG command structure, including Syrian members, should also leave.
Furthermore, he said non-PKK cadres should disarm, peacefully integrate into the new administration's framework and return to normal civilian life within Syria.
- Daesh camps in Syria
Fidan pointed out that Western countries have essentially given the YPG/PKK terror group the role of wardens for Daesh prisoners.
He emphasized that European nations should take their captured Daesh members back.
Fidan said through Daesh detainees, PKK has leveraged extortion against European countries, and accused Europeans and Americans of falling for that kind of blackmail.
Fidan referred to his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where he discussed the urgent need to implement a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.
He said during Trump's administration, several scenarios could have been possible regarding the Palestinian issue.
There could also be a positive scenario, where a cease-fire leads to relatively improved humanitarian conditions, he said.
He also warned, however, about the possibility of Israel's expansionist policies becoming more widespread, including the initiation of an operation that could extend into the West Bank.
