The recovery and rebuilding of Syria, and terrorist groups in the country were highlights of a panel held at the Munich Security Conference in the eponymous German city over the weekend. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined the panel entitled "New Dawn for Damascus: Prospects for Syria’s Transition" with Syria's new Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan al-Shaibani, and spoke about the post-Assad era in Türkiye's southern neighbor.
The threat by U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG, the Syria wing of the PKK, which killed thousands in Türkiye, figured out largely in Fidan's speech. The top diplomat implied the possibility of a Turkish operation to eliminate the group but emphasized that the new administration in Damascus, whom he described as "friends," should handle it properly. Fidan was the first Turkish minister to visit Damascus in years and met incumbent interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the latter led a revolution to topple the oppressive Assad regime. Before and after the visit, Türkiye pledged close ties with the new rulers of the country, supported postwar reconstruction, and highlighted the lingering threat of the YPG. "(They should) handle this issue and expect them not to leave a solution to this matter to us," Fidan was quoted as speaking at the panel by Turkish media. "The PKK/YPG is a threat as big as Daesh for Syria and the entire region," Fidan stated.
The minister reiterated that they spoke with representatives of regional countries after the fall of the Assad regime and consulted with them about expectations from the new administration. "Syria has been a source of instability in the region for a decade and finally, we have a chance to work things out. I believe many countries agreed on the same principle," he said. Fidan added that neighboring countries no longer want threats originating from Syria. "We don't want terrorism to find a ground. We don't want minorities to be mistreated. We want to preserve Syria's territorial integrity and political sovereignty and an inclusive administration," Fidan said.
One of the key challenges in Syria is ensuring stability and integrating armed groups into a unified structure, he said. "The new administration has started to address this issue comprehensively. I have held lengthy meetings with my counterparts and other officials in the new administration, and from what we understand, they are taking the right steps toward unifying armed groups. We believe there should only be one legitimate armed force in any country. Therefore, they will have their own armed forces and, of course, their own law enforcement agencies," Fidan stated.
As the civil war escalated in Syria, the terrorist groups Daesh and the PKK/YPG emerged as major threats, especially in the country's north. Fearing spillover of the violence and in support of Syrian opposition forces and civilians displaced by terrorists, Türkiye launched a string of cross-border offensives into the country between 2016 and 2019. The PKK/YPG benefited from the U.S. partnership as Washington sees them as a key ally against Daesh. The terrorists captured towns previously held by Daesh. Turkish-U.S. ties have been strained over Washington’s support of the terrorist group.
The new administration held talks with the YPG but rejected their request to retain its own bloc if they integrated into Syria's new army. The YPG established itself as a semi-autonomous entity for Kurds in Syria's northeast, exploiting the security vacuum amid the civil war. When 14 years of civil war came to an end last December, it engaged in talks with the new rulers of Syria led by anti-regime forces that ousted the Assad regime.
Fidan emphasized that armed forces must be managed and directed by the government. "In no way can we tolerate armed groups, as we have long witnessed how they bring chaos and instability to the region. To ensure public order, security and safety, the process of addressing the issue and integrating them under a single national army is currently progressing. This is one of the issues we are closely monitoring," he said.
"International terrorists from Türkiye, Iraq and Iran are currently gathered in northern Syria, hiding under the pretext of fighting Daesh. There is no fight against Daesh. They are providing prison services to the U.S. military because there is no other place to hold Daesh detainees. This area has been chosen as a prison. But these people cannot be allowed to occupy one-third of the country, seize oil and gas fields, plunder the country, and prevent the central government and millions of Syrians from benefiting from these resources. This must end. This is not only a national security threat for us but also a major problem for our region," Fidan said.
He highlighted that the transition process in Syria is ongoing. "Of course, we are constantly reassessing every step we take in Syria. Our current priority and focus regarding Syria is how we can assist them in reconstruction, revive the economy and rebuild state institutions. We are striving to address these critical issues in the best possible way, together with the international and regional community," he said. Fidan underscored that Türkiye's engagement in Syria has been aimed at protecting the population living under the control of Syrian opposition groups. "At the time, we were talking about a population of 5 million. This was a result of the Astana process. Today, I believe all the people we were there to protect are, thankfully, governing the country together. I hope a bright future awaits them," he said.
The minister clarified that Türkiye's support for Syrian opposition groups over the past 14 years does not imply any claim over Syria's sovereignty. "This is something we have particularly avoided. We do not even want to give such an impression. In fact, this has been a significant issue in our region. For a long time, there has been a concern and fear in our region: 'Who will establish dominance in the region – Turks, Iranians or Arabs? I think we must leave this behind now. We must bring a culture of cooperation, respect and solidarity to the region. And we must respect each other's sovereignty. I believe a new dawn has arrived, and I think we can achieve this. In this spirit, we can establish cooperation with our brothers in Syria. Even if they are in opposition, we have not taken such a stance because we have learned important lessons from what has happened in our region," he concluded.
Al-Shaibani did speak in support of disarming all non-state factions and including Kurds in Syria's new government. "Kurds are part of the Syrian nation, but they can’t have their own army, as this is against our unity,” said another speaker on Saturday's conference panel, Hind Kabawat of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
Fidan also held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
He met with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. president's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine. Earlier, he met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and discussed the situation in Palestine and preparations for Gaza's reconstruction. In his conversation with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, they reviewed bilateral relations and recent developments in the Balkans. Fidan also met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.
He also met with Marta Kos, the European Commission’s commissioner for enlargement, on the sidelines of the conference. Underlining the importance of advancing Türkiye-EU relations within an agenda that includes concrete steps, Fidan said an EU, of which Türkiye is a member, could become a more effective power in the region.
The Turkish foreign minister also met with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. During the meeting, they discussed issues related to Syria’s reconstruction, the ongoing government formation process, and the fight against terrorist groups.
Fidan also met with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministers Elmedin Konakovic and Jeyhun Bayramov. In his meeting with Konakovic, the Turkish foreign minister discussed bilateral relations, as well as developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the situation in the Balkans. Fidan also met with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev.
The minister's other meeting was with top Ukrainian officials, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Sunday. He held talks with Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, according to the ministry. Details of the discussions were not immediately disclosed.
National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Ibrahim Kalin also attended the conference, which focused on the theme of multipolarity and global and regional crises. Sources say that Kalin held bilateral meetings and participated in intelligence sessions at the conference. The Turkish intelligence chief stressed the fragility of the Gaza cease-fire and the need for Israeli attacks to end and for humanitarian aid to flow freely. He also addressed Syria’s transition process, calling for sanctions to be lifted and underscoring the importance of preventing terrorist groups. In addition, Kalin noted that, due to Türkiye’s geographical position, the country is directly affected by developments in both the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war. He stressed that peace is vital for the stability of the global economy and advocated for a negotiated solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
