Blinken Announces US and Türkiye Agreement on Syria Settlement
The US Secretary of State has warned Türkiye that exerting excessive pressure on the Kurds may result in a revival of the Islamic State. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that Washington and Ankara have come to a general agreement on how to normalize the situation in Syria. Currently touring the Middle East, Blinken expressed that the Biden administration aims for regional powers to adopt a unified strategy regarding this issue.
In late November, armed opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched an unexpected offensive in Syria, successfully capturing several major cities, including the capital, Damascus, last Saturday. Former President Bashar Assad and his family subsequently fled to Russia, where they were granted asylum.
While Türkiye supports various Syrian opposition factions that ousted Assad, it views Kurdish-dominated militias as terrorists, despite their longstanding support from the US.
Following discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday, Blinken remarked that there is “broad agreement, what we would each like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria.”
He emphasized that the US and Türkiye have “worked very hard… to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS,” underscoring the importance of “keeping at those efforts.”
On Thursday, Blinken also engaged in talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, Jordan, earlier that day, Blinken recognized that “Türkiye has real and clear interests, particularly when it comes to the PKK and terrorism… which is an enduring threat to Türkiye.” However, he cautioned that external forces should be wary of “avoiding sparking any kinds of additional conflicts inside of Syria.”
Blinken asserted that the “so-called SDF, the Syrian Democratic Forces, that we’ve been supporting” has been pivotal in preventing the resurgence of the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria.
On Wednesday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced on X that his group and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army had reached a truce after days of fighting for control of the northern city of Manbij. Abdi indicated that the US had facilitated the negotiations.
Established in 2015, the SDF is a coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias that have actively conducted military operations against Islamic State militants in northeastern Syria. The group has often engaged in armed confrontations with the Turkish military, as Ankara believes the SDF is connected to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which it classifies as a terrorist organization.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
In late November, armed opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched an unexpected offensive in Syria, successfully capturing several major cities, including the capital, Damascus, last Saturday. Former President Bashar Assad and his family subsequently fled to Russia, where they were granted asylum.
While Türkiye supports various Syrian opposition factions that ousted Assad, it views Kurdish-dominated militias as terrorists, despite their longstanding support from the US.
Following discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday, Blinken remarked that there is “broad agreement, what we would each like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria.”
He emphasized that the US and Türkiye have “worked very hard… to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS,” underscoring the importance of “keeping at those efforts.”
On Thursday, Blinken also engaged in talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, Jordan, earlier that day, Blinken recognized that “Türkiye has real and clear interests, particularly when it comes to the PKK and terrorism… which is an enduring threat to Türkiye.” However, he cautioned that external forces should be wary of “avoiding sparking any kinds of additional conflicts inside of Syria.”
Blinken asserted that the “so-called SDF, the Syrian Democratic Forces, that we’ve been supporting” has been pivotal in preventing the resurgence of the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria.
On Wednesday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced on X that his group and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army had reached a truce after days of fighting for control of the northern city of Manbij. Abdi indicated that the US had facilitated the negotiations.
Established in 2015, the SDF is a coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias that have actively conducted military operations against Islamic State militants in northeastern Syria. The group has often engaged in armed confrontations with the Turkish military, as Ankara believes the SDF is connected to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which it classifies as a terrorist organization.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
