We will initiate a chain of meetings and steps between Türkiye, Russia and Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday, as Ankara and Damascus explore restoring ties after years of tensions.
"As of now, we want to take a trilateral step as Syria, Türkiye and Russia. For this, our intelligence organizations should first meet, then our defense and foreign ministers. After their meetings, we can come together as leaders. I offered this option to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. He also viewed it positively," Erdoğan told journalists returning from Turkmenistan.
"Thereby, we will start a series of negotiations," he added.
Erdoğan further underlined that Türkiye would not seek permission from any country, including the U.S., to talk with Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad and added: "The decisive factor in steps to be taken regarding Syria will be our national interests." He said that steps could be taken in the fields of cooperation against terrorist organizations as well as safe zones.
Erdoğan previously said he could meet with Assad when the right time comes, reinforcing recent tentative steps to restore ties between the two sides in its southern neighbor's war.
Any normalization between Ankara and Damascus would reshape the decadelong Syrian war. Turkish backing has been vital to sustaining moderate Syrian opposition in their last significant territorial foothold in the northwest after Assad defeated the opponent across the rest of the country, aided by Russia and Iran.
The president highlighted that another issue of importance was the increasing threats and provocations of terrorist organizations in Syria’s north.
"We have decisions from the Sochi deal and Astana," he said, referring to Ankara’s aim to establish a safe zone, withdrawing the PKK’s Syrian wing, the YPG, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of the Türkiye-Syria border.
"Our coordination with Russia in Syria is not new," Erdoğan said and added that Türkiye’s potential ground operation into northern Syria was discussed between the two countries.
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.
After the air operation was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also signaled a ground operation to 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 PKK/YPG-controlled Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (also known as Kobani) regions as possible targets to clear of terrorists.
Tal Rifaat lies 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of the border with Türkiye. The PKK/YPG controls the city and surrounding villages, and Russian troops are present in the area. The Syrian National Army (SNA) controls areas surrounding Tal Rifaat from the north, while Russian-backed Syrian troops control zones mostly to the south.
Russian troops are deployed in some PKK/YPG-controlled border areas of northern Syria following a 2019 agreement that sought to avert a previous Turkish operation threat.
Erdoğan also reiterated that coalition forces made up of the U.S., France, Germany and the U.K. are on the Syrian scene.
The president elaborated that the coalition forces support the YPG while oil fields are another factor from which the terrorist organization profits.
"We have taken all kinds of steps towards their refineries, oil wells, etc.," he added.
"But we also call on the U.S. and say that if you continue to give the terrorist organization trucks of weapons, ammunition, vehicles and equipment, then we will take things into our own hands."
The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in the U.S., Türkiye and the European Union. Washington’s support for its Syrian affiliate, the YPG, has significantly strained on bilateral relations with Ankara.
The U.S. primarily partnered with the YPG in northeastern Syria to fight against the Daesh terrorist group. On the other hand, Türkiye strongly opposed the YPG terrorist group’s presence in northern Syria. Ankara has long objected to the U.S.’ support for the YPG, a group that threatens Türkiye and terrorizes local people, destroying their homes and forcing them to flee.
Under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the U.S. has provided military training and given truckloads of military support to YPG terrorists, despite its NATO ally’s security concerns.
Oil field rivalry
Assad’s regime on Wednesday accused the U.S. and the YPG of "stealing" oil and natural gas in the country, claiming that its total loss in the field of energy reached $111.9 billion.
"Foreign and Expatriates Ministry affirmed that the U.S. occupation forces and their affiliated militias continue their systematic looting of the Syrian oil, wheat and other national and vital main resources," the state news agency SANA said, referring to the YPG/PKK terror group.
The regime claimed that its direct losses because of attacks in the oil, natural gas and mining areas amounted to $25.9 billion, while "indirect" losses due to the disruption of production in the area have exceeded $86 billion, the agency said, citing the ministry.
The regime also called on the U.N. to ensure compensation for these "violations."
The PKK and YPG have controlled much of northeastern Syria since Assad's forces withdrew in 2012.
The regions occupied by the terror group in the provinces of Deir el-Zour and Hassakeh have the richest energy resources in Syria in terms of oil and natural gas. The terrorists continue to occupy over 70% of the oil resources in Syria with U.S. support.
While the terrorist group captured the Koniko gas field, the largest gas facility in the northeastern countryside of Deir el-Zour on Sept. 23, 2017, it also occupied Syria's largest oil field, al-Omar, on Oct. 22, 2017.
The oil refineries in the country are under the control of regime forces.