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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reportedly stated that Türkiye will not support any form of federal structure in Syria and expects all armed elements, including members of the YPG terrorist group, to disarm and integrate into the national army.
The PKK/YPG, also referred to as the SDF, is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization.
Speaking during a meeting at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters with lawmakers from Türkiye's eastern, southeastern, and Black Sea regions, Fidan outlined Ankara's approach to recent developments in Syria and the region.
Fidan emphasized that Türkiye continues to work in full coordination with Syria and regional countries regarding counterterrorism efforts.
"We will coordinate the process concerning Daesh with Jordan and other regional countries," Fidan said.
He added that Türkiye is closely monitoring the situation involving the YPG: "We are following the process involving the YPG with great sensitivity. They will lay down their arms and join the national army."
[related]Fidan criticized recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria, suggesting they contribute to regional destabilization.
"We approach Israel’s latest attacks with criticism as they aim to destabilize the area," he said.
He stressed that no armed formation outside of Syria's national army will be tolerated and that the inclusion of Kurds in the Syrian constitution as founding members is important to Türkiye.
We continue to work in full coordination. We take a critical stance toward Israel’s recent attacks and their destabilizing actions in the region. We will coordinate the ongoing situation with Daesh together with Jordan and other regional countries.
We are closely monitoring the developments related to the YPG. They will lay down their arms and join the national army.
There will be absolutely no federal structure in Syria, and no other armed formation outside of the army will be tolerated. We value the inclusion of Kurds as one of the founding elements of the Syrian constitution.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Addressing a question on whether U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to Syria is personal or institutional, Fidan said: "He is an elected U.S. president. So it is not possible to assess his stance separately from institutional policy."
Fidan also noted that Trump is focused on preventing the resurgence of Daesh in Syria. He claimed that Israeli airstrikes aimed at expanding operational space for Daesh are a reality that Türkiye faces.
He is an elected U.S. President, so it's not possible to evaluate him separately from the institutional approach. What matters for Trump is that Daesh does not regain a foothold here — and it's becoming evident.
We are facing a situation where Israel’s attacks are effectively creating space for Daesh, which is a threat to Western and global peace. Türkiye's stance on this issue is also clear.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
On the situation in Gaza, Fidan firmly rejected Israel's plans to depopulate the area and relocate Palestinians to third countries.
"We are clearly against the depopulation of Gaza. Right now, people there face daily bombings and famine," he said.
He also noted that Jordan and Egypt have not responded positively to the idea of relocating Palestinians to other countries, a proposal Israel is reportedly pursuing.
We are clearly against this. Right now, that region is going through a dire situation where people are tested by hunger every day and bombs rain down on them every night. Despite the lack of a positive stance from Jordan and Egypt, Israel continues to actively pursue the idea of 'Can Palestinians be relocated to other countries?' in a very serious way.
We will continue our efforts to build international sensitivity around this issue.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Touching on Türkiye's stalled European Union accession process, Fidan said: "We've been in the same situation for 50 years. If Türkiye had been in the EU, Brexit would not have happened."
He argued that the inclusion of Türkiye and the United Kingdom in the EU framework could have altered the bloc's current security dynamics.
Fidan said the EU must decide whether to act with vision or continue making short-term political calculations under public pressure. "If Türkiye were in the EU today, we wouldn’t be discussing the rise of the far right," he added. "But the reality is far from ideal."
We've been in the same situation for 50 years. If Türkiye had been part of the EU, Brexit wouldn’t have happened. If both Türkiye and the UK were within the EU framework, we wouldn’t be talking about Europe's security problems today.
This is the decision-making point the EU needs to face: will you act with vision going forward, or remain stuck in short-term calculations driven by public pressure?
If Türkiye were in the EU today, we wouldn’t be dealing with the rise of the far right. But the reality isn’t aligned with an idealistic perspective.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
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