Ankara (TDI): France must take back its militant citizens from Syria, Turkiye’s top diplomat said Friday, insisting the United States was its only interlocutor for developments in the northeast where Ankara is threatening military action against Kurdish fighters.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that Ankara’s sole goal was to ensure “stability” in Syria after the overthrow of strongman Bashar Assad.
In its sights are the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which have been working with the US for the past decade to fight Daesh group militants.
Ankara considers the group as linked to its domestic nemesis, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
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The PKK has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkiye and is regarded as a terror group by both Turkiye and the US.
The US is currently leading negotiations to head off a Turkish offensive in the area.
“Washington is our only counterpart. Frankly we don’t consider countries that try to pursue their own interests in Syria by relying on US power,” Fidan said.
His statement was widely understood to be a reference to France, which is part of a global coalition to prevent a militant resurgence in the area.
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When asked about the potential deployment of French-Us troops in northeast Syria, Fidan stated that France’s primary concern should be repatriating its citizens imprisoned there for militant activities.
“If France had any responsibility, it should take its nationals, return them to its own prisons, and prosecute them,” he said.
