Turkey rejects France's role in Syria, calls US its only 'counterpart'

Turkey rejects Frances role in Syrian Kurdistan, calls US its only counterpart in Syria — Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, January 8, 2025. Photo: Turkish Foreign Ministry

ANKARA,— Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that Washington remains Turkey’s only partner when it comes to developments in the Kurdish region in northeastern Syria, as Ankara raised the prospect of military action against Kurdish fighters in the Syrian Kurdistan.

In his remarks, Fidan made it clear that Turkey considers the United States its primary interlocutor on Syria-related issues, dismissing other countries, particularly France, which he suggested are advancing their own agendas under the protection of U.S. power.

“The U.S. is our only counterpart. We don’t consider countries that use U.S. power to pursue their own interests in Syria,” Fidan said, in what was widely seen as a reference to France, a member of the international coalition combating ISIS in the area.

Fidan also took aim at France’s involvement in the region, suggesting that the French government should prioritize repatriating its citizens held in Syria for alleged ties to jihadist groups, rather than engaging in military actions.

“If France has anything to do, it should be bringing its citizens back, sending them to its prisons, and putting them on trial,” he said.

Discussions are underway regarding the potential deployment of U.S. and French forces to secure a border zone in northern Syria, an area with a Kurdish-majority population.

According to a senior Syrian Kurdish official, the idea would be to deploy U.S. and French forces to help reduce tensions between Turkey and Kurdish fighters, who have received backing from the West.

Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Kurdish administration in northern Syria, known as Rojava, told TV5 Monde earlier this week that both U.S. and French forces could take on the responsibility of securing the border region.

“The United States and France could effectively secure the entire border. We are ready for this military coalition to take on this task,” she said.

The potential involvement of foreign troops comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia that has been a key partner for the United States in the battle against ISIS.

Turkey views the SDF as closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey, and both Turkey and the United States classify it as a “terrorist” organization.

The SDF has rejected the accusations, strongly denied any ties to the PKK, accusing Turkey of using false justifications to expand its invasion of Kurdish areas in Syria’s north.

Fidan reiterated that Turkey’s goal in Syria is to restore stability in the aftermath of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, and that its actions are aimed at securing its southern border.

According to analysts, Turkey behaves as though it has the ultimate authority over actions in Syria, acting as a guardian or trustee with control over who is permitted to operate there.

The U.S. is currently leading efforts to prevent a Turkish military offensive in Syria’s Kurdish region, with talks ongoing between Ankara and Washington to address Turkey’s concerns while preventing further instability in northeastern Syria.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)