Türkiye has been holding talks with Russia to use the airspace above northern Syria for a potential cross-border operation against the PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch, the YPG, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Akar said Ankara was in talks with Moscow, which supports Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad's forces, about the operation. "We are in talks with Russia about all issues including opening the airspace," he said.
Recently, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border aerial campaign against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG, which have illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan attacks on Turkish soil.
The country's air operation followed a PKK/YPG terrorist attack on Nov. 13 on Istanbul's crowded Istiklal Street that killed six people and left 81 injured. The Defense Ministry said the operation was carried out in line with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
After the air operation was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also signaled a ground operation in northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat, adding: "This is not limited to just an air operation." The president specified northern Syria's YPG-controlled Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (also known as Kobani) regions as possible targets to clear of terrorists. Türkiye has threatened a new military operation into northern Syria since May and upped those threats in the wake of this month's attack.
Erdoğan has repeatedly called for a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) safe zone to protect Türkiye against cross-border attacks from Syrian territory.
The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in the United States, Türkiye and the European Union, and Washington's support for its Syrian affiliate has been a major strain on bilateral relations with Ankara.
The PKK/YPG has controlled much of northeastern Syria after the forces of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad withdrew in 2012. The U.S. primarily partnered with PKK/YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group. On the other hand, Türkiye strongly opposed the PKK/YPG's presence in northern Syria.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful ground operations against terrorist groups to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).