Türkiye stresses ‘anti-terror’ push in quadrilateral Syria talks

MOSCOW (AA) – Türkiye is in Syria only to fight “terrorists” and to create a safe environment for the Syrians, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said.

“As we have always maintained, we respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Akar said after talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu, Iran’s Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani, and Syria’s Ali Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.

The meeting was also attended by the intelligence chiefs of all four countries.

“The only reason we are in Syria is to fight ‘terrorists’, particularly the PKK/YPG/PYD and Daesh/ISIS. We will continue our efforts to ‘neutralize’ all ‘terrorists’, which is important not just for us, but also for the territorial integrity of Syria,” Akar told reporters at the Vnukovo International Airport.

Another one of Ankara’s aims is to prevent a new wave of refugees from Syria, he added.

“With our efforts, we are providing as positive and stable an environment in Syria as possible. By improving conditions there, we will ensure that the Syrian brothers and sisters we are hosting in our country can return to their homeland voluntarily in a safe and respectful manner,” he said.

Türkiye will never take a step that puts Syrians in danger, he emphasized.

Akar added, “We are working hard to eliminate the scourge of terrorism as quickly as possible to protect our nation, borders and people, and to restore peace, stability, and tranquility in the region.”​​​​​​​

Turkiye considers the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its associates YPG and SDF in Syria “terrorist” outfits.