Turkish, Saudi ministers discuss Syria as SNA gains ground in Tal Rifaat

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, held a phone conversation on Dec. 1 to discuss the latest developments in Syria, according to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The talks coincided with significant advances by the Syrian National Army (SNA) in its “Operation Dawn of Freedom,” targeting the PKK/YPG terrorist group in northern Syria.

On Dec. 1, the SNA announced full control over the central districts of Tal Rifaat, located 18 kilometers from the Turkish border, ending eight years of PKK/YPG occupation.

The operation, aimed at preventing a PKK/YPG terrorist corridor between Tal Rifaat and Manbij, has seen rapid progress.

SNA forces also captured the neaby village and 24 other key locations. Among these are Shevergaelriz, Tennep, Malikiyye, Keffin, Kefernaya, Miskan, El-Cuz, Tatmiras, Tel Ineb, Mezeret Hamad, Zoyan, Maranaz, Algamiyye, Burcelgas, Minnig, Telaccaz, Harabsems, Kutale, Ayn Dakne, Deyr Cemal, and Zukkebir, as well as Kuveyris and Minnig airports, and Zuyan Hill.

Clashes continue as SNA units advance in the district, clearing strongholds previously used by PKK/YPG for launching attacks on seccure areas. Villages such as Seale, Radar Seale, and Neyrebiyye, which served as terrorist bases, have also been secured.

The PKK/YPG seized Tal Rifaat in February 2016 with Russian air support, displacing approximately 250,000 civilians, many of whom fled to areas near the Turkish border.

The terrorist group used the region to stage attacks against Turkish forces and opposition fighters, despite ongoing operations like “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch.”

Over the years, the PKK/YPG fortified its presence in Tal Rifaat with support from the Assad regime and its allies. Following recent developments, regime forces allied with the PKK/YPG ceded parts of Aleppo province, prompting the SNA to launch its offensive to reclaim these territories.

Seperately, opposition groups have recaptured the Sefire district southeast of Aleppo city center from regime forces. The opposition launched an offensive on Nov. 27, targeting areas previously ceded to the PKK/YPG by the regime.

The SNA was created in 2017 by the Syrian Interim Government and is a collection of troops to defend regions in Syria’s north controlled by the opposition against the Assad regime and its allies, as well as YPG.

Ankara launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9, 2019, under its right to self-defense as stipulated in Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to target terrorist groups, particularly the PKK/YPG, which threatened the national security in northern Syria.

PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, with the YPG known as the group Syrian offshoot.