From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Erdogan says Israel must withdraw from Syria ‘or it will cause unfavorable outcomes for everyone’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israel must withdraw its forces from Syria or it will cause “unfavorable outcomes for everyone.”
“The aggressive actions of the forces attacking Syrian territory, Israel, in particular, must come to an end as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will cause unfavorable outcomes for everyone,” he says.
The IDF has said that its deployment to a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border and strategic positions beyond the zone is a defensive and temporary measure amid the situation in Syria.
Erdogan’s comments come even as Turkey has its own forces in northern Syria and threatens further military action.
Turkey has the capacity and ability to crush all terrorist organizations in the country, including Kurdish militia and the Islamic State, Erdogan says.
Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said the Kurdish YPG militia was now the biggest problem in Syria after the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad, and added that the group would not be able to escape its inevitable end unless it lays down its arms.
“Currently, the most serious issue in Syria is the YPG terrorist organization, which still occupies almost one-third of the country’s territory.”
Ankara has threatened to mount a military operation against the Kurdish forces, which control Syria’s northeast, if its demands are not met.
