Turkey links progress with Syria to joint efforts against SDF
Erbil, KRI, Iraq (North Press) – The progress of normalizing ties with the Syrian government relies on its contribution to issues related to the “Turkish national security” and the fight the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a presidential spokesperson said on Sunday.
Fahrettin Altun, Director of Turkey’s Presidential Communications, emphasized the necessity of achieving tangible results to make progress in normalizing ties with the Syrian government.
The Turkish presidential spokesperson, as reported by the pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah, linked progress in relations to Damascus’s involvement in combating what Turkey considers “terrorism” threatening its southern borders, in reference to the SDF.
Turkey continues to engage with the Syrian government in a quadrilateral form without preconditions and in good faith, the director said.
Altun pointed out that Damascus must act in the same manner for this process to yield results.
Altun stated, “Therefore, insisting on the withdrawl of Turkish forces from Syria at this stage is meaningless, and our presence in Syria guarantees the safety of their land.”
On June 20, in the 20th round of Astana talks, the Syrian government insisted on the withdrawal of Turkish forces as a precondition for progress in normalization.