Fidan to Blinken: PKK/YPG terrorists won't be allowed to shelter in Syria

The terrorist group PKK/YPG will not be allowed to take shelter in Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call.

During the call on Saturday, Fidan stressed the importance of working in cooperation with Syria's new administration to ensure stability in the country and complete the transition period in an orderly manner, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli.

Türkiye supports the efforts of Syria's new administration to ensure the country's territorial integrity and security, Fidan said. More efforts are needed to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, he added.

According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken "emphasised the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritises an inclusive and representative government."

Blinken and Fidan also discussed their common goal of preventing terrorism from threatening the security of both Türkiye and Syria, Miller said in a statement.

PKK/YPG continues terror attacks in Aleppo

Two people lost their lives in an armed attack carried out by the terrorist group PKK/YPG in Aleppo, northwestern Syria.

The ambush took place on a road in Ashrafiyah, Aleppo, where the terrorist PKK/YPG staged an armed assault late Friday.

The PKK/YPG was also behind a Friday car bomb explosion in central Manbij.

The Syrian National Army (SNA) forces continue to engage in clashes with PKK/YPG terrorists near the Tishrin Dam in the district's southeast.

On November 30, Syrian opposition forces had captured most of central Aleppo from Assad regime forces.

The SNA liberated the Tel Rifaat district centre from the PKK/YPG during Operation Dawn of Freedom, launched on December 1 in rural Aleppo.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terror organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the EU — has caused the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.

The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot. The PKK/YPG has sought to exploit the aftermath of the Assad regime's fall to establish a "terrorist corridor" along the border with Türkiye.