Turkey’s Erdogan seeks support in fight against Syrian Kurdish militia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran, Iran, July 19, 2022. President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS


ANKARA, July 19 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Kurdish YPG militia was taking steps to divide Syria with foreign support and that it would benefit the Syrian people to rid the country of them.

Speaking in Tehran at a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Russia and Iran, Erdogan said he saw that the two countries understand Turkey’s security concerns but words were not enough. He said Turkey’s battle against the YPG and other militia would continue without a care for who supports it.

Ankara has carried out four operations in northern Syria since 2016, seizing hundreds of kilometres of land and mainly targeting the YPG. Erdogan has said Turkey will again target the YPG, which it regards as a terrorist group, despite opposition from Russia and Iran.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu;
Editing by Daren Butler

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