Turkish FM stresses Turkish forces will not withdraw from northern Iraq, Syria
The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, confirmed that his country’s forces will not withdraw from northern Iraq and Syria at present, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
In an interview, Cavusoglu said that the withdrawal from northern Iraq and northern Syria means the cessation of the Turkish military operations against terrorism and allowing terrorists to get closer to the borders, and this poses a threat to Turkey’s national security.
The Turkish Foreign Minister explained that the Turkish forces will leave a security vacuum if they withdrew from northern Syria, and that national security and border security are very important for Ankara.
Cavusoglu pointed out that Turkey does not trust the United States and France when it comes to the fight against terrorism, indicating that Washington continues to support the militants belonging to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The statements of the Turkish Minister precede a meeting of defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Syria, Russia, Turkey, and Iran in Moscow.