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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was quoted on Monday as saying that Türkiye, as it did in the past, would take the necessary steps against threats to its national security through Syria. The president was responding to a journalist’s question while traveling to Türkiye from South Africa, about Israel’s presence in Syria in the post-Baathist era.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told an interview last week that Israel “prevented Türkiye’s entry to southern Syria and struck a Turkish airfield.” Israel illegally asserted control of Syria’s border areas when the Assad regime collapsed and made inroads into the country under the pretext of helping the Druze community. Several Israeli officials had also signaled collaboration with the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group that carried out attacks targeting Türkiye in the past.
Erdoğan underlined that Syria’s territorial integrity was essential and it was up to Syrians to decide on the fate of their country. In addition to Israel’s illegal presence in Syria, the YPG carved out a so-called autonomous region in northeastern Syria amid lawlessness during the Syrian civil war. Although the YPG reached a deal with the new administration in Damascus last March for integration into the Syrian army, it insists on the “decentralization” concept in Syria to preserve its “autonomy.”
“Türkiye knows very well that the slightest turmoil and instability in Syria would have a hefty toll. And everyone should know what steps we can take when it comes to our country’s national security and peace. We don’t want a repeat of such threats and dangers, but if we face them again, we will do what is necessary,” Erdoğan said.
Türkiye launched three cross-border military offensives in Syria during the civil war in its southern neighbor and helped Syrian opposition forces to drive out Daesh and YPG terrorists.
Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye had no interest in grabbing territories of other countries or harming their sovereignty. “We only want peace and security in every part of our region, particularly in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. We want it for all the people. As a matter of fact, the Israeli administration knows its every step in the region is illegal and a source of instability,” Erdoğan said. Ankara accuses Israel of spreading its expansionist aggression across regional countries and Erdoğan once said Türkiye may also be the future target of Israel, pointing out to latter’s attacks on Lebanon and Syria. “We are doing what we are supposed to do based on our strategic priorities and will do such in the future as well,” he said.
