Turkey says military operation planned with Syria against PKK

Turkey and Syria are planning a large-scale military operation against the militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Hakan Fidan said on January 8.

"If the PKK does not lay down its arms, if it continues to insist on a change of administration in Syria and if Western countries make demands in this direction, a large-scale military operation [by the Turkish Armed Forces] together with the Syrian state will be inevitable," Hürriyet quoted him as saying.

At the same time, it is not known what exactly new demands from Western countries could trigger a joint operation between Ankara and Damascus.

In addition, according to the publication, Turkey sought to stabilize the situation in Syria not so that the PKK could continue its existence.

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On the same day, Fidan reported an ultimatum to the PKK militants who are on the territory of Syria. According to him, the terrorists should leave the country, and the remaining members of the organization should lay down their arms and work with the new Syrian organization.

Before that, on December 13, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Ankara that Turkey is in favor of preserving the territorial integrity of Syria, but will defend its national security if it faces threats from the Syrian opposition or the PKK.

The situation in Syria has escalated as a result of a major attack by armed militias in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.