ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Saturday that Türkiye would not allow the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to operate in Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Anadolu cited Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli, who said Fidan underlined the importance of cooperating with Syria to ensure stability and manage a peaceful transition.
Fidan reiterated Türkiye's commitment to Syria's territorial integrity and security, stressing that the PKK/YPG presence must be prevented.
According to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department, Blinken "emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government."
Türkiye views the YPG as an extension of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish government.
Ankara has long been critical of U.S. support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, of which the YPG is a key component. Türkiye perceives this support as tacit backing for the PKK.
Since 2016, Türkiye has launched multiple military operations in northern Syria targeting the YPG, including "Euphrates Shield" in 2016, "Olive Branch" in 2018, and "Peace Spring" in 2019-2020. These operations have strained relations between the two NATO allies. ■
