US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) stands alongside Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during the North Atlantic Council Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on April 3, 2024. — AFP file
Turkey's chief diplomat and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a conversation on Sunday regarding the "rapidly evolving" conflict in Syria, where rebel forces have achieved significant advancements. Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed via telephone the necessity for de-escalation and the safeguarding of civilian lives and infrastructure in Aleppo and other areas, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement.
The call took place following Syrian rebels and their Turkish-backed allies initiating their most extensive offensive in years, wresting control of Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, from forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad. A Turkish foreign ministry source revealed that Fidan informed Blinken that Ankara is "opposed to any development that would exacerbate instability in the region" and stated that Turkey would "support initiatives to lessen the tension in Syria".
Fidan also emphasized that "the political process between the regime and the opposition must be concluded" to ensure peace in Syria, while asserting that Ankara would "never permit terrorist activities against Turkey nor against Syrian civilians". The escalation has witnessed pro-Turkish rebel groups assaulting government forces and Kurdish People's Defence Units (YPG) fighters in and around Aleppo, according to a Syrian war monitor. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.
The Syria offensive commenced on Wednesday, coinciding with the implementation of a truce between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Over 400 individuals have been killed thus far in the offensive, the majority of whom are combatants, according to a Syrian war monitor. The State Department noted that the two also addressed "humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the necessity to conclude the war" as well as efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Fidan urged Israel "to fulfill its commitments to ensure the Lebanon ceasefire becomes permanent" and called for a ceasefire in Gaza "without delay". The pair additionally discussed Ukraine and the South Caucasus, according to the source.
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