The establishment of a stable and secure Syria is a must for the security of Türkiye, and Ankara will continue its efforts to this end, the Turkish top diplomat has said, underlining that the integration of YPG with the new Syrian army remains a priority.
“We will not allow an environment in Syria that would threaten our national security,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at the parliament during the discussions on his ministry’s budget for 2026 on Nov. 18.
Syria remains one of the priorities of the Turkish foreign policy, especially after decades-old Assad rule was toppled in December 2024, Fidan stressed, reiterating that this offers a new opportunity for deepening and reviving ties with Syria.
Syria has made important progress in re-integrating with the international community, Fidan said, informing that more than 550,000 Syrians have returned to their homeland since last year.
According to the foreign minister, Türkiye has four priorities on Syria in the coming period: “Establishment of peace on the basis of maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and unity; clearing Syria of all terrorist elements, particularly the PKK and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, while gathering all armed groups under a unified army; instating an inclusive government that represents all the groups; economic development and reconstruction of the country with the active support of the international community and sustaining the returns of the Syrians.”
Fidan recalled that there are still challenges in Syria despite progress shown in all these fields, referring to the integration of the YPG with the Syrian army.
“Close coordination continues with the U.S. and the Syrian government to implement the March 10 Agreement. Meanwhile, Israel’s activities in the Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda regions are creating a new line of tension in the south,” Fidan said.
YPG and Damascus signed an agreement for the integration of the former’s armed groups with the new Syrian army on March 10, which stipulates the completion of the process until the end of this year.
“Our efforts to strengthen Syria's counter-terrorism capacity to prevent all these risks have become systematic,” he stated.
