After a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, Turkey’s foreign minister shocked Washington by stating that Turkey’s objective is to eradicate the primary fighting force of the Syrian Kurds, who played a significant role in defeating ISIS alongside the U.S.
Turkish media reports indicated that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared on NTV that “the elimination of YPG is [Turkey’s] strategic goal,” emphasizing the need to safeguard the country’s Kurds.
When questioned about Fidan’s statements, the State Department redirected inquiries to previous remarks made following Blinken’s meeting with Fidan in Turkey.
The statement said, in part, “Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of U.S.-Turkish cooperation in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Syria.”
“Turkey’s military actions in Syria jeopardize regional stability and undermine efforts to end ISIS terrorism. The Turkish strikes not only harm the Kurds, but also exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the region, causing significant population displacement.”
Uzay Bulut, a Turkish-born political analyst, told Fox News Digital, “Erdoğan’s imperial ambition in Syria has not changed. Land grab and demographic change have always been Turkey’s plan in Syria. Turkey’s military campaigns against Syria have brought nothing but instability to the region and severe persecution of minorities.
“To prevent further abuses, massacres or forced displacements against Christians, Kurds and Yazidis and to stop the spread of jihadism in the region, the Trump administration should get involved diplomatically to protect religious and ethnic minorities, particularly defenseless Christians, in Syria.”
The entrance of the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province Dec. 3, 2024, shows a portrait of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and a national flag in a dumpster after the takeover of the area by rebel groups. (Rami Al Sayed/AFP via Getty Images)
Syria’s Christian population could be as low as 2.5%, down from 10% before the civil war started in 2011. Christian and other ethnic and religious minorities face persecution from the radical Islamist Sunni terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its extremist allies.
“The ongoing jihadist assault against Syrian Kurds and Christians is led by the al Qaeda offshoot, HTS,” Bulut said. “HTS forces are backed by the government of Turkey and have brutalized and displaced religious minority communities in Idlib since 2017. HTS aims to install Islamic rule in Syria.”
The Trump transition team did not respond to Fox News Digital press queries.
When asked by Fox News Digital if the U.S. was contemplating sanctioning Turkey, a State Department spokesperson said, “As a general matter, we do not preview sanctions.”
On his trip to the region Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Turkish counterpart, and the two discussed the latest developments in the area.
A readout of their meeting noted in part that Blinken “reiterated calls for all actors in Syria to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Syrians, including members of minority groups, and to prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism.”
