Photo shows Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler during a visit to the Artillery and Missile School Command in the Polatli district near the capital Ankara, Türkiye, on Dec. 31, 2025. (AA Photo)
January 01, 2026 12:03 AM GMT+03:00
Türkiye’s National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Wednesday that no terrorist organization, including PKK, YPG and SDF, will be allowed to continue operating in the region.
“Our state’s position is clear: No terrorist organization, especially PKK/YPG/SDF, will be allowed to maintain its activities or impose any kind of new reality in the field,” Guler said during a visit to the Artillery and Missile School Command in the Polatli district near the capital Ankara on New Year’s Eve. He was accompanied by senior military officials.
Guler said Türkiye has “significantly restricted the mobility” of terrorist groups both domestically and across borders through operations carried out in 2025, weakening their access to shelter, logistics and human resources.
“These achievements have laid the groundwork for launching the goal of a ‘Terror-Free Türkiye,’” he said.
He said the current phase was reached at high cost, crediting fallen soldiers, veterans and members of the Turkish Armed Forces for what he described as the success of counterterrorism efforts.
“This stage we have reached is the result of a struggle won at a great cost. Undoubtedly, the primary architects of this success are, first and foremost, our revered martyrs and heroic veterans, as well as all valued members of the Turkish Armed Forces,” Guler said.
A vehicle of SDF is pictured along a road as terrorists deploy to impose a curfew in al-Busayrah, northeastern Deir ez-Zor province, Syria, Sept. 4, 2023. (AFP Photo)
‘With prudence and responsibility’
Guler said Türkiye would continue its counterterrorism campaign “with prudence and responsibility,” stressing coordination among institutions and close dialogue with Syria’s administration. He called on the SDF to fulfill its obligations under the March 10 agreement.
He also warned against unilateral actions in Cyprus, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Our resolve and capability to protect our rights remain firm. No step taken and no fait accompli carried out ‘despite Türkiye’ will ever be allowed,” Guler said.
The minister said Türkiye supports international law and plays what he described as a constructive role in regional and global peace efforts. He added that the Turkish Armed Forces continue to contribute to security missions in multiple countries, including Azerbaijan, Libya and Somalia.
“We act as a stabilizing force wherever we are present,” he said.
On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement on the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming Syria’s territorial unity and rejecting any attempt at division.
The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, which Türkiye considers the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.
Syrian authorities say the SDF has not taken steps in recent months to comply with the terms of the agreement. Officials in neighboring Türkiye have also stressed that the SDF must adhere to the deal, warning that security developments in Syria directly affect Türkiye.
The Syrian government has intensified security efforts since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
January 01, 2026 12:08 AM GMT+03:00