Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) convened on Thursday under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, issuing a nine-point statement emphasizing the necessity of eradicating “separatist terrorism” from Syrian territories to ensure Syria’s stability and integrity.

Turkey views Kurdish-led groups in Syria as extensions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Paty (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. However, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria and a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been a crucial ally for the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara lasted two hours and 45 minutes. The subsequent written statement detailed Turkey’s ongoing operations against various terrorist threats as well as recent international developments.

The statement underlined that intensified counterterrorism efforts, with cooperation from countries in the region, would contribute to the territorial integrity of neighboring Iraq and Syria.

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.

The United States continues to support the SDF in its efforts against ISIL. This support has been a point of contention between Ankara and Washington, straining relations.

The MGK expressed support for achieving “a comprehensive societal consensus” in Syria. The council emphasized that “removing separatist terrorism” would primarily benefit Syria’s interests and security.

Syrian-Turkish clashes amid normalization talks

In a related development, Turkish and Syrian forces clashed in Idlib, northwestern Syria, amid talks of potential rapprochement. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Turkish forces shelled areas held by Kurdish and Syrian forces, injuring a Syrian soldier. In response Syrian forces attacked a Turkish outpost using kamikaze drones, causing a fire.

These incidents come as President Erdoğan signals readiness to repair ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, contingent on Turkey’s withdrawal from Syrian territory and cessation of support for anti-Damascus groups. Turkey currently maintains over 70 military outposts in Syria’s Idlib province.

Since early July the Syrian army and allies have intensified bombardments in Idlib to secure regions such as the M4 highway, essential for trade and military logistics. Heavy artillery exchanges and drone strikes risk the security of Turkish troops stationed near the targeted areas.