Turkiye: No Syrian withdrawal talks until new constitution

Shafaq News/ On Monday, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler stated that Turkiye will not discuss coordination on withdrawal from Syria until a new constitution is agreed upon, elections are held, and borders are secured, adding that Turkiye and Syria could hold meetings as part of normalization efforts if conditions allow.

It is noteworthy that Damascus has stipulated Turkiye’s withdrawal from Syrian territory as a condition for normalizing relations between the two countries.

Turkiye’s military presence in Syria is driven by a complex interplay of security concerns, regional influence, and geopolitical strategy.

Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Turkiye became increasingly involved due to the rise of Kurdish factions, particularly the YPG, which Turkiye views as linked to the PKK—a terrorist group engaged in a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

To address these threats, Turkiye launched several military operations, including Operation Euphrates Shield (2016) to combat ISIS and curb YPG influence, Operation Olive Branch (2018) to capture Afrin from the YPG, and Operation Peace Spring (2019) to create a buffer zone and resettle Syrian refugees. These operations reflect Turkiye’s goals to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish autonomous region, assert its influence in post-conflict Syria, and alleviate domestic pressures from hosting millions of refugees.

Turkiye’s actions are also influenced by its complex relations with the US, which has supported Kurdish groups in the fight against ISIS, and its interactions with Russia and Iran, both of which support the Al-Assad regime.