“Turkey will continue to fulfill its responsibilities to ensure safety of Syrians, including Kurds”
Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın made a statement to reporters after meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and his visiting delegation.
Presidential Spokesperson Kalın stated:
“Included in the U.S. delegation, headed by Mr. John Bolton, the National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, were the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Special Representative for Syria, and other relevant officials. We held a comprehensive meeting and discussed in detail how the withdrawal process will proceed.
“WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR ALLIANCE WITH THE U.S., WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL WITHDRAWAL PROCESS”
Firstly, as Mr. President has previously stated, we welcome Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria. However, it is necessary to clarify such issues as how the withdrawal will be conducted, what kind of a structure will be left behind, what will happen to the heavy weapons that have been handed out, what the future of the U.S. bases and logistic centers there will be, etc.
We discussed all these issues in detail during the meeting, kind of a starter. Later today, as well as in the days ahead, our military and intelligence officials will continue to discuss the issue in depth. Within the framework of our relations of alliance with the U.S., we will continue to do our best to ensure that the withdrawal proceeds successfully.
I had better remind a few basic principles at this point. First of all, Turkey’s stance with regard to Syria’s territorial integrity has been very clear since the beginning. Besides its territorial integrity, Syria’s political unity is also of critical importance. Another important principle of ours is the elimination of all the terrorist organizations from the Syrian territory, including from its border with Turkey. This will not only ensure our border security, but will also save the Syrian civilians - be it Kurds, Arabs, Muslims, Christians or Yazidis - from terrorist attacks and oppression.
“THERE IS NO STEP BACK, WEAKNESS OR PAUSE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DAESH”
Therefore, as Mr. President told Mr. Trump, there is no step back, weakness or pause in the fight against DAESH. Having waged an effective fight against it, Turkey is the leading country in the war on DAESH. Turkey has done its part as an important member of the Global Coalition against DAESH by clearing the Jarabulus-Al Bab line of DAESH terrorists through Operation Euphrates Shield. As such, when we take a look at the map today, we see no presence of the DAESH terrorist organization, of the PKK or its Syrian branch, the PYD/YPG terrorist organization, or of the regime elements in the area extending from Idlib to Afrin and from Afrin to Al Bab and to Jarabulus.
“TURKEY HAS FULFILLED ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO PREVENT ANY DAMAGE TO CIVILIANS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DAESH”
Within the framework of the model we have developed in this region, administrative units composed of the opposition and the local elements oversee the flow of daily life and ensure security there, which enabled nearly 200,000 Syrians to return home from Turkey last year. This is the number with regard to Jarabulus, with nearly as many people having returned to Afrin.
Turkey has fulfilled, and will continue to fulfill, its responsibilities to prevent any damage to civilians, the Kurds included, while fighting DAESH. Therefore, we all, first and foremost Mr. President, reacted when the Syrian Kurds were associated with the PKK terrorist organization as well as with its Syrian branch, the YPG/PYD, and when they were used together in the same sentence as if they were the same.
“WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR THREATS IN SYRIA WITH DETERMINATION”
In the meeting this morning, we highlighted that a clear distinction should be made between them. As I stated in my statement the previous day and Mr. President in his address to the parliamentary group meeting today, the PKK terrorist organization and its Syrian branch, the PYD/YPG, or other similar groups cannot represent our Kurdish brothers and sisters. Turkey has so far taken utmost care to prevent any loss of civilian life and property during Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch and during other anti-terror operations, and it has achieved a very successful track record in this regard. Keeping this in mind, I would like to reiterate that we will continue to fight against terrorist organizations and their threats in Syria with determination.
At this point, we shouldn’t allow the withdrawal process to create new opportunities for terrorist organizations, including for the PYD/YPG, or for other elements. We will of course be in coordination with our U.S. allies to that end. However, it seems that the issue of the support for the YPG/PYD, an issue which the Trump administration inherited from the Obama administration, continues to be a problem for the Trump administration, too. Notwithstanding the fact that the withdrawal decision is an important step for Syria’s territorial integrity as well as for the elimination of terror from there, I would like to reiterate that our stance on the YPG/PYD is clear.
“THE MANBIJ ROADMAP SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AS AGREED UPON”
Let me once again underline that the policies we have pursued and the operations we have launched there have always been aimed at putting an end to the oppression and cruelty of these terrorist organizations, which inflict oppression on the Kurdish people as well. Our presence, operations and policies there are aimed at ensuring the security of the life and property of our Kurdish brothers and sisters, too.
While focusing on the east of the Euphrates along with the withdrawal process, we also highlighted during today’s meeting the need for the immediate implementation of the Manbij roadmap as agreed upon. We told our U.S. counterparts that this process shouldn’t be delayed any more. They said, in response, that they were also positive about it; yet, we will see in the upcoming days how this is to be turned into operational action on the ground.
We also discussed how to render the ceasefire in Idlib permanent and the preservation of the status quo. We are of the same opinion on this issue. As you know, a grave humanitarian tragedy was averted and an environment of relative security and stability has been established in Idlib as a result of Turkey’s initiative. We agreed with our U.S. counterparts on its continuation.
As regards the political transition process, we will carry on with our efforts for the establishment of the constitutional committee. To that end, we will continue to be in close contact and cooperation with our counterparts within the scope of both the Astana process and the Geneva process as well as with other allies of ours.
Let me wrap it up, the meeting we had this morning constitutes the first round of a series of meetings we will hold. Our relevant units will continue to address in detail the withdrawal process together with its duration and content and the scene that is to be left behind. And we will continue to discuss the issue with our counterparts.”
