Don’t hide behind US: Turkey slams France over proposal to deploy French troops at Syria border, threatens SDF with…

Turkey has warned foreign fighters in the SDF.

Ankara: Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has rejected a proposal to deploy French troops on the Syrian border. France’s proposal was to create a safe zone to reduce tensions with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Istanbul on Friday, January 10, that France’s efforts to hide behind the US and serve its interests will not be completed. Turkey has also rejected the SDF’s proposal to demilitarize the city of Kobane under US supervision.

According to a Middle East Eye report, Hakan Fidan questioned France’s role in Syria and said that some small European countries which are participating in the military operation in Syria under the umbrella of the US will not bring any real benefit to them or the region.

Fidan said Turkey would only take France’s views seriously if it acted independently without the United States. As long as France hides behind the United States, it will not be taken seriously.

France reiterates support for SDF

Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan has once again warned foreign fighters in the SDF and members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to leave Syria. At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken of continuing to support the SDF. Tensions between Turkey and France have increased over security on the Syrian border.

The case between France and Turkey is related to a proposal to create a safe zone on the Syrian border. Interestingly, the French government has not publicly made any proposal to protect the Turkish-Syrian border. However, French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this week that Paris would not leave the SDF.

Turkey considers the SDF (of which the YPG is a part) a terrorist organization and is therefore opposing the resolution. Turkey has already warned that if the SDF does not comply with Turkey’s demands, it may launch a cross-border strike against the YPG in north-eastern Syria. Fidan has once again made a similar threat to the SDF and YPG.