Erdogan stated that Turkey would not allow Syria to be fragmented

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Wednesday that his country would not allow Syria to fragment or the emergence of Kurdish autonomy on its borders.

In his speech at the reopening of parliament in Ankara, he emphasized that Turkey wanted to use diplomatic channels to reach an agreement on the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria's state structures. However, if diplomacy fails, Ankara will take action, Erdogan said.

“We are using all diplomatic channels with patience and prudence. But if these remain unanswered, our position is clear,” he said.

Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organization because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.

Ankara has intervened militarily in northern Syria several times in the past. Erdogan hinted that a similar move could be possible again if the Kurdish militias do not submit to the government in Damascus.

(reuters, lud)