Foreign terrorists present inside Syria should leave, says US

WASHINGTON

The US on Friday said any “foreign terrorist” present inside post-Assad Syria should leave the country, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring regional stability and addressing Türkiye’s security concerns.

“We believe that any foreign terrorist present inside Syria should leave the country,” Under Secretary of State John Bass said during a virtual press briefing in Ankara, following high-level talks with Turkish officials on Syria.

The comments by Bass – a former US ambassador to Ankara – came after being asked by Anadolu about Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s recent ultimatum for the terrorist PKK/YPG to dissolve, leave Syria, or face a potential military operation.

“The ultimatum we gave them is clear. We’ve delivered it through the Americans and the media. Those classified as international terrorist fighters, coming from Türkiye, Iran, and Iraq, must leave immediately,” Fidan told CNN Türk in a televised interview on Tuesday.

Later, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press briefing in Paris alongside his French counterpart that the US is working “very closely” with Türkiye to resolve its “legitimate” security concerns, “including over time with the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syrian national forces, including with the departure of foreign members of that force to their own countries.”​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Turkish officials have repeatedly stressed that the so-called SDF is an attempt to rebrand the terrorist PKK and is dominated by PKK/YPG terrorists.

“As Secretary Blinken noted, we are in agreement with the government of Türkiye and a number of other governments that Syria cannot be, should not be, in the future, a safe haven for foreign terrorist organizations or foreign terrorist fighters,” Bass told reporters in Ankara.

“We believe that any foreign terrorist that is present inside Syria should leave the country, ideally, many of those people will be returning to their countries of origin, their countries of nationality, through a responsible process that involves those governments, potentially to face justice for their actions,” he added.

Bass did not elaborate which foreign terrorist organizations he was referring to. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the European Union.

Bass acknowledged Türkiye’s concerns regarding national security, stressing the importance of collaboration in managing the transition.

“We think it's quite important that we work together on this transition and the departure of any foreign terrorist fighters in ways that don't contribute to creating more instability in Syria, that don't create new opportunities for Daesh to undertake terrorist activities or to try to break members of the organization out of prison,” he added.

He underscored the need for actions by interim authorities to enhance security across Syria and improve conditions for all Syrians.

The visit comes amid persistent disagreements between the two NATO allies about US support for the YPG/PKK-led SDF.

The US sees the SDF as its primary partner in the fight against ISIS (Daesh) in Syria. The SDF is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, a designated terror organization in the US and Türkiye. Ankara sees the presence of the PKK/YPG near its border as a direct threat to its national security.

- Terrorist PKK 'exploited situation inside Syria'

Asked about a potential French military deployment in Syria, Bass declined to comment on behalf of Paris but reiterated the US focus on ensuring that the transitional period in Syria does not lead to additional risks, to Türkiye, to Iraq, or to, any of Syria's neighbors.

He stressed that the US is focusing on the security of both the Turkish government and public concerning instances where "foreign terrorists, including the PKK, have at times exploited the situation inside Syria."

-‘Productive’ talks in Ankara

Bass described the talks in Ankara on Syria as “productive and constructive,” with discussions focused on concrete steps to ensure a smooth transition period in Syria.

“We have focused on ways that, either together or in a complementary fashion, we can support a responsible transition in Syria,” he noted, adding that US military presence in Syria remains to prevent ISIS from re-emerging as a regional threat.