Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a strongly worded warning that his country will intervene if necessary to avoid division of Syria and will be “uncompromising” in its determination.
Reaffirming its commitment towards Damascus, these warnings are viewed as direct, veiled warnings to Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as to the US and Israel.
“We cannot accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk, we will take the necessary measures,” the Turkish leader said in remarks following the first cabinet meeting of 2025.
Erdogan has recently posed a firm stance against Israel and the US and said, “Ankara will use all of its strength, resources, and military power to make sure Syria remains under one leadership.”
He went further and said, that Turkiye will not warn anyone before taking direct military and air actions to prevent the splintering of its neighbour.
He insisted that there is “no place for terrorism in the future of the region” and that those who choose terror will be “buried with their weapons.”
He has constantly said that the Kurdish group poses a threat to Turkiye's security. Groups such as the PKK and YPG have conducted several attacks on Turkish soil. Türkiye views both of these groups as terrorists.
Türkiye, meanwhile, has attempted to foster ties with the new Syrian leadership, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visiting Damascus last month and calling for the lifting of economically-crippling international sanctions on the country.
Syria remains an important country in the overall geopolitics of the region, and with HTS in power, there are more likely chances that its neighbours, despite remaining cautious, will breathe a sigh of relief as terror groups like Hezbollah, the PKK, and the YPG will no longer gain traction in Syria.
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