Türkiye, US to hold key talks on ‘new Syria’

ANKARA

The Turkish and American top diplomats will come together on Dec. 13 in the Turkish capital to hold key talks on Syria with a particular emphasis on the creation of a new administration in the Middle Eastern country.

A Foreign Ministry official confirmed that United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will come to Ankara on Friday to meet Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The talks will focus on Syria after the six-decade Baath regime collapsed and Bashar Assad fled the country to Russia on Dec. 8.

Both Ankara and Washington welcomed the collapse of the regime after 13 years of civil war that killed more than a million civilians and caused the displacement of around 10 million Syrians.

Blinken and Fidan will discuss the power transition in Syria as opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced the establishment of a caretaker government under Mohammad al-Bashir.

In a statement on Dec. 10, Blinken said, “This transition process should lead to credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance that meets international standards of transparency and accountability, consistent with the principles of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.”

Washington expects that the new government must “uphold clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that any chemical or biological weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.”

Fidan, speaking at the parliament on late Dec. 9, informed that an intense diplomacy is being run between all relevant parties on Syria, stressing “In light of these meetings, we are trying to guide the international community and make sure the creation of a healthy, sustainable balance in the country and in line with our interests.”

Türkiye will continue to support the people of Syria in this new era, the minister said, “We want to see a new Syria where peace prevails, and all different religious and ethnic groups co-exist peacefully. We want to see a stable Syria that does not produce instability for its neighbors.”

YPG will be on the agenda

As the two ministers will discuss the new era in Syria, they will surely raise the continued American partnership with YPG in the fight against ISIL.

Türkiye has long been urging the U.S. to stop its cooperation with YPG, a terror organization, in the northern Syria. It says YPG wants to divide the country.

Following the collapse of the regime, the Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army has ousted YPG from Tel Rıffat and Manbij, two important provinces on the western bank of the Euphrates.

Türkiye says it will not allow the creation of a terror corridor along its border and will take all measures to secure its borders and citizens.