Turkish president emphasizes strong support for Syria's territorial integrity

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that Türkiye would not allow Syria’s territorial integrity to be sabotaged or the festering of instability across the southern Turkish border.

In a statement for Eid al-Fitr – the holiday at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – Erdogan highlighted that Türkiye would “continue the work we have initiated in line with our ‘Türkiye without terrorism’ goal in accordance with our roadmap,” referring to an initiative to quash the PKK/YPG, terrorist groups which hid out in northern Iraq and tried to establish a terror belt in northern Syria, across Türkiye’s southern border.

Türkiye does not have “unlimited patience” on the issue, he warned, saying it expects the terrorist PKK/YPG to dissolve themselves and “lay down arms completely without any further delay.”

Erdogan also performed Eid prayers at Istanbul’s Grand Camlica Mosque, where he addressed worshippers.

On the situation in embattled Gaza, now suffering from renewed Israeli attacks in a war that began in October 2023, he said: “We see and know what is happening in Palestine.”

The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza on March 18, killing more than 920 victims, injuring over 2,000, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

More than 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 114,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly. The YPG (also known as the SDF) is its Syrian offshoot.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye, while the YPG/PYD has tried to establish a terror corridor in northern Syria along Türkiye’s borders.