PKK/YPG terror group will not be permitted to seek shelter in Syria: FM Fidan

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan informed U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a phone call on Saturday that the PKK/YPG terror group will not be permitted to find shelter in Syria, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.

Fidan emphasized the need for cooperation with Syria’s new administration to restore stability and ensure a smooth transition period, said ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli.

Türkiye continues to back Syria’s new leadership in efforts to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity and security, Fidan reiterated.

Additionally, he stressed the need for increased efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

​​​​​​​In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terror organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and EU, has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 victims, including women, children, infants and the elderly.

The YPG is the PKK’s offshoot in Syria, an area where the group has tried to establish a terror corridor threatening Türkiye along its border.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

With the ouster of Assad, PKK/YPG terrorist group has been seeking to exploit the country’s instability and power vacuum.