Türkiye carries more sensitivity in counterterrorism than US, UK do: Fidan

NATO needs to be sensitive to Türkiye’s concerns about the fight against terrorism, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.

"What is important for us is, firstly, that the Alliance develops sensitivity in the fight against terrorism in a way that will understand and include Türkiye's concerns, " Fidan told the Haberturk news channel on Monday.

His remarks came ahead of a NATO summit in Washington, D.C. on July 9-11.

Stressing that NATO member countries should not impose restrictions on each other's defence industry products, Fidan said: "Our expectations on this issue continue like this. There are still some problem areas. They need to be resolved."

Regarding the "trust problem" between Türkiye and NATO allies over the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation, he said: "The countries we have problems with regarding the YPG are America, England and a little bit with France...In order to maintain its (YPG) presence there, it is present in all operations where America is involved…We express this problem at every level."

Underlining that this is against the spirit of the Alliance, Fidan said that Türkiye is continuing the highest level of diplomacy possible and that "it can no longer live with such a reality."

"We carry more sensitivity in our fight against the PKK than you (the US and the UK) do in your fight against terrorism, just on the other side of our border. It is out of the question for us to engage in any negotiations here," he said, adding Türkiye will resolutely continue its fight against terrorism.

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Russia-Ukraine war

Fidan said he was in Russia recently to attend the BRICS meeting in Nizhny Novgorod and to hold talks in the capital Moscow, where he was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There is a possibility that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Putin in Kazakhstan in the coming days, he said.

Turning to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said: "We are in a situation where more than 500,000 people have died, a country's infrastructure and superstructure are about to be destroyed, millions of people have been displaced and the war has moved into Russia. We are no longer in a position to handle this spread.”

Regarding whether there is a basis for the Istanbul negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine, he noted that he has always seen a basis for the negotiation process and pointed out that it is important whether the parties want to use this ground.

"This risk will continue as long as the war continues. There is no escape from this because both sides will have to use different qualified weapons and different game-changing methods in order to cause more damage to each other. Everything is in effect. Therefore, after proxies come into play, this spark has the opportunity to spread to other places," he added.

Period of non-conflict

Evaluating the situation in Syria, Fidan said: "The most important thing that both the Russians and our side have achieved so far regarding Syria is that the war between the regime and the opposition does not continue as of now."

"We would like the Syrian regime to use this period of non-conflict, this period of silence, wisely. Let them use all these years as an opportunity to solve their constitutional problems, make peace with their opponents, bring back millions of people who have fled abroad, left or emigrated and rebuild the country and revitalise its economy. But we see that this (opportunity) is not used enough," he said.

Türkiye believes that Syria, which has achieved a little more stability and has become integrated with its government and opposition, will be a more effective actor, especially in the fight against PKK terrorism, he added.

"The presence of Russia in Syria, the presence of Iran, Israel's constant operations, and the presence of various militia groups further complicate the issue. In this complexity, it is important that we constantly pursue a dynamic policy to protect our national interests," Fidan underlined.

Not an 'axis shift'

Fidan emphasised that it is important for Europe to cooperate with Türkiye to become a "more independent and confident" geostrategic actor.

Upon a question on how Türkiye will be affected by the rise of the far right in Europe, Fidan explained that the far right in Europe is considered a "threat" category.

"We also perceive issues that pose a threat to our compatriots living abroad as threats. Not just within our borders. The far right has a very criminal history in Europe, especially against the Turkish and Muslim masses," he added.

Turning to Türkiye's desire to join BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Fidan said it is not an "axis shift.”

Asked whether BRICS is an alternative to the G7, Fidan said: "The G7 is a place where countries that think about more political issues, the same strategic goals and the same field of civilisation come together. BRICS, on the other hand, is a platform that started for economic purposes at that point."

Stating that BRICS is a platform that includes all civilisations, races and religions compared to the EU, Fidan explained that the platform can produce serious benefits when it is structured and institutionalised, as in the EU.