By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL – On his recent trip to Qatar where Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with both the foreign minister and prime minister of Qatar to discuss bilateral and regional issues, Fidan spoke about the current situation in Syria under its new leadership. He said Syria is taking what he called ‘positive steps’ to guarantee equal rights for all groups in Syria through the constitution that is currently being formulated. Fidan explained that he discussed the situation in Syria with Qatar’s foreign minister that included efforts on post-war development, the economy and lifting sanctions. Though Fidan cautioned that Turkiye would oppose groups seeking to take advantage of Syria’s transition to achieve their own ends and those who want to endanger Syrian territorial integrity and sovereignty. As Fidan underscored: “We expect implementation of the deal between the Syrian administration and the YPG,” adding that the Turkish government expects the PKK to return a call for dissolution of its organization. Regarding the fate of YPG, a branch of the terrorist group PKK in Syria – Fidan said they should either accept being “left out of the system in Syria as Daesh did” or they will suffer consequences. He implored the YPG to accept in ending its presence in a post-Assad Syria. Fidan reiterated: “We don’t accept any initiative targeting Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Any initiative allowing those outside the central authority to bear arms is unacceptable.”
Fidan’s remarks followed Saturday’s meeting of several Kurish groups in Syria’s northeast who met at a “convention” with the YPG, calling for a “decentralized, democratic” Syria. Meanwhile, the SF which is an umbrella body of groups controlled by the YPG, did reach a deal with the new administration in Syria. The goal of the deal is to integrate the ‘autonomous’ enclave in the northeast under YPG control into the central government. YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Shain, a terrorist wanted by Turkiye, told the “convention” that his group supports “all Syrian components receiving their rights in the constitution to be able to build a decentralized democratic Syria that embraces everyone.” Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on a cautionary note about Syria’s future said: “The region fought wars, turmoil, occupation, blood and tears for years, and in modern times, we need to end these and build a prosperous, safe, respectful and free system. Actors resorting to old tactics of terrorism, actors believing that they would remain a trouble for regional governments, should get out of this system.”
