Blinken meets Erdogan as forces backed by US, Turkey clash in Syria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Turkey for talks focused on a critical aspect of establishing stability in Syria amid clashes in the north of the country between US-backed Kurdish forces and Turkey-backed rebels.

Blinken meets President Tayyip Erdogan at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport after visiting Jordan on his first trip to the region since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government was ousted on Sunday.

The Turkish presidency shares a photo from Erdogan’s meeting with Blinken in a post on X, but does not share details about the talks.

Blinken will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday.

NATO allies Washington and Ankara supported Syrian rebels during the 13-year civil war, but their interests notably clashed when it came to one of the rebel factions – the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The SDF is the main ally in a US coalition against Islamic State militants. It is spearheaded by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants that it outlaws and that have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Before arriving in Ankara, Blinken said the PKK is an “enduring threat” to Turkey.

“At the same time … we want to avoid sparking any kinds of additional conflicts inside of Syria at a time when we want to see this transition to an interim government and to a better way forward,” he says.

Syria is expected to top the agenda of Blinken’s talks, a Turkish official said on condition of anonymity, adding Ankara is ready to support Syria as a safe and stable place governed by an inclusive government.