Turkish military presence in Syria crucial: Think tank

By Muhammet Tarhan and Salih Okuroglu

ANKARA (AA) - It is crucial for Türkiye to maintain its military presence and operations in Syria until it completely eliminates threats to its national security and territorial integrity emanating from the PKK terrorist organization and its affiliates such as the YPG, according to a new report.

The report, The State Dream of PKK/YPG in Syria, has been published by the Foundation for Political, Economic, and Social Research (SETA), a think tank based in Ankara.

Authored by researchers Can Acun and Kutluhan Gorucu, the report covers the terror groups' presence and expansion in Syria, the 2011 uprising, and Türkiye's military operations against the terrorists.

Based on years of fieldwork, the study also examines war crimes and human rights violations committed by the PKK and its offshoots, their control over natural resources and their sources of finance.

It highlights that the PKK/YPG currently occupies an area of approximately 50,000 square kilometers in Syria, controlling 75% of energy resources, significant agricultural lands, and water resources.

The publication argues the importance of Türkiye's military operations such as Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, and Peace Spring in countering the PKK/YPG threat.

It says that Türkiye should continue its military operations to completely eliminate the terrorist organization in Syria.

Can Acun, a foreign policy researcher at SETA, told Anadolu that the report is the result of extensive fieldwork in Syrian regions such as Azez, Afrin, Tel Abyad, and Ras al-Ayn.

Acun said the PKK/YPG's goal is to establish a terrorist state that would sever Türkiye's connections with the Islamic and Arab world along its southern borders.

"This terrorist organization is being portrayed as creating a stability zone and fighting against terrorist groups such as ISIS/Daesh," but the reality on the ground is exactly the opposite, he added.