The final statement of the Turkish National Security Council meeting on Thursday stressed “not to allow the presence and activity of any terrorist organization in the region and to take the necessary measures to achieve this goal.”
And the Turkish nationalist statement added, at the end of a meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which lasted more than 3 hours: “A briefing was given to the council regarding the ongoing operations with determination, determination and success within and outside the country and possible additional measures were discussed.”
The Turkish National Security Council statement also called on Greece to stop what it called “the arming of islands where military activities are prohibited”.
On Thursday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey in the capital, Ankara, and discussed the latest developments in Syria with him.
On Thursday, Akar said his country had warned allied countries of the need to remove the armed groups from their lands and to sever all relations with them “as soon as possible”.
Akar added, in statements reported by the Anadolu Agency, that the United States has asked Ankara to reconsider launching a military ground operation in northern Syria. The Turkish minister indicated that his country has asked Washington to “fulfil his obligations”.
The Turkish National Security Council, in its meeting on Thursday chaired by President Erdogan, discussed the “fight against terrorism” andland operations potential in northern Syria.
It is the sixth and final regular meeting of the Council this year and it has discussed Turkey’s airstrikes against Kurdish militants in eastern Syria and northern Iraq and conducted multidimensional assessments of a new ground operation in northern Syria .
The meeting also discussed the recent situation of Turkish army operations in northern Iraq and developments in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
“Strong” US opposition
On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Turkish counterpart of his “strong opposition”. for a new Turkish military operation In Syria, expressing its concern about the escalation of the situation in the country, as stated by the Pentagon in a statement.
And the US Department of Defense said Austin expressed, in a phone call, his “concern about the escalating situation in northern Syria and Turkey, including recent air strikes, some of which have directly threatened security of American personnel working with local partners in Syria to defeat ISIS,” according to the statement. .
France’s “deep” concern
France, in turn, expressed in Ankara its “deep concern” over Turkish attacks in Syria and Iraq, which “threaten the progress” made in the fight against ISIS, according to a statement from the defense ministry on Wednesday.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Locorno said on Tuesday in a phone call to his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, that these attacks “lead to an escalation of tensions that threaten the stability of the region and the progress made by the international coalition over several years in the fight against ISIS” led by the United States and other countries, according to France. Press.
Last week, Turkish President Erdogan reiterated his intention to order a ground offensive “when the time comes”.
Interestingly, Turkey holds the PKK, both in northern Syria and in Iraq, responsible for carrying out terrorist operations on its territory and threatening its security, which has prompted it in recent years to carry out 3 military operations in northern of Syria, as well as carrying out several attacks on the Iraqi border.
