Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in an appearance on A Haber TV channel last evening (February 4), discussed and answered questions about the current affairs in the region.
Regarding the question about the U.S. attacks on Iran-backed groups, Fidan mentioned that the U.S. is playing with fire, stating, "When you play with fire, it can turn into a blaze at any moment. It may not be controllable. We are facing a risk here. The issue of uncontrollability stands as a threat before us."
Fidan emphasized that Turkey is in constant communication with regional partners and the U.S., stating, "We need to avoid regional escalation. The situation is not good. We might face an even larger escalation."
On the Israel-Palestine issue, he remarked, "Israel is not seeking security but rather more territory. The day Israel gives its own state to the Palestinians, Israel will already be secure."
PUK leadership
Fidan stated that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) collaboration with the PKK in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq has been a long-standing concern. He expressed that the collaboration with the PKK has repeatedly been communicated as placing PUK in the "enemy class."
"There have been some efforts to appear pleasing to us, but we realized that these individuals have no intention of giving up on this. We have brought this issue to our President's attention. Ultimately, we have officially declared this issue as a policy and started implementing sanctions. Currently, we have imposed significant restrictions, especially in air transportation, to Sulaymaniyah."
Fidan reiterated the call for the PUK leadership to "correct their course," warning that otherwise, Turkey will be compelled to take further steps.
Relations with Syria
Fidan also evaluated various talks conducted through various channels between Turkey and Syria, stating, "The Syrian regime's attempt to make a diplomatic move by setting preconditions for Turkey is a wrong method. We have conveyed this to them. As our President has mentioned, we keep the door of dialogue open."
Highlighting Turkey's support for the territorial integrity of Syria as neighboring countries, Fidan remarked, "So far, we have not made any attempts to violate the Astana process. The elements we support have never been involved in a disruptive major move against the Astana process."
Fidan mentioned that the Syrian regime still cannot meet with Turkey for various reasons, stating, "When they meet, they cannot represent themselves. There is always another country with them. This is not a problem for us because we have full confidence in ourselves; we know what we want to do. Our commitment to stability in the region is evident." (AS/PE)
