Türkiye and Russia share a similar view regarding putting an end to separatist movements in Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Monday at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the capital, Ankara.
“There can be no tolerance for terrorist organizations taking root in Syria,” Fidan told reporters, referring to the PKK/YPG terrorist group occupying the civil war-torn country’s northeastern region.
"We are fully convinced that Syria's territorial integrity and unity must be preserved,” Fidan said.
U.S.-backed terrorist groups YPG and Daesh are two groups active in Syria. Though the latter lost significant clout thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations, YPG, the Syria wing of PKK, which killed thousands in Türkiye since the 1980s, remains active in northeastern Syria.
Türkiye and Russia backed opposing sides in Syria’s civil war that started in 2011, putting them on a collision course. Despite occasional spikes in bilateral tensions, Ankara and Moscow maintained cordial ties, including brokering a cease-fire for Syria in 2021.
The new administration of Syria, which emerged as a major ally for Ankara, hinted at a resumption of ties with Russia, which played a role in crushing the opposition through military support to the Assad regime.
