, The Associated Press reported.){kind=link}
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared on Thursday that Turkey will not allow Kurdish-led groups in Syria to establish a semi-autonomous state along its borders following the announcement of upcoming municipal elections by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), The Associated Press reported.
“We are closely following the aggressive actions by the terrorist organization against the territorial integrity of our country and of Syria under the pretext of an election,” Erdoğan said, referring to the SDF’s plan to hold local elections on June 11 in the northern and eastern provinces of Syria, including Hassakeh, Raqqa, Deir el-Zour and parts of Aleppo.
Turkey has long opposed the presence of Kurdish militias along its border, accusing them of being linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. However, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria and a key component of the SDF, has been a crucial ally for the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
“Turkey will never allow the separatist organization to establish a terror state just beyond its southern borders in the north of Syria and Iraq,” Erdoğan said during the Efes-2024 Joint Military Exercise.
Erdoğan’s remarks came shortly after an important meeting of Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) on May 28 that emphasized Turkey’s commitment to combating terrorism and maintaining the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq. An MGK statement highlighted the threat posed by the PKK and SDF and underscored Turkey’s determination to prevent any changes to the region’s status quo.
Turkey has conducted several military operations in northern Syria since 2016, aiming to push Kurdish forces away from its border and create a buffer zone. Erdoğan reiterated Turkey’s readiness to take military action again if necessary. “We did what was needed in the past in the face of a fait accompli. We will not hesitate to act again if we encounter the same situation,” he stated.
Erdoğan’s strong stance also sends a message to the United States, which continues to support the SDF in its efforts against ISIL. This support has been a point of contention between Ankara and Washington, straining their relations.
Turkey plans to address this issue at the upcoming NATO meetings. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will raise the topic during the informal NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Prague on May 30-31, and Erdoğan is expected to discuss it at the NATO Summit in July.
The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in Syria, which is organizing the elections, sees them as a step towards greater self-governance. However, Turkey perceives these elections as a move towards the establishment of an independent Kurdish entity, which it views as a direct threat to its national security.
The SDF’s planned elections come amid ongoing instability in Syria. Erdoğan accused the Kurdish groups of intensifying their efforts to establish control over the region through coercion and violence. “Syria is still in chaos. The separatist terror organization’s Syrian extension has intensified its pressure, efforts and threats on the local population,” he said.