Turkey will keep its troops in Syria and Iraq until security along its borders with both countries has been ensured, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler told Agence France-Presse.
“When we assess that the necessary conditions have been met in terms of regional and border security, the status of our base areas and our presence in the region will be reconsidered,” he said in written responses to questions.
Turkey has maintained troops in northern Syria and Iraq for years to counter threats from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group, and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
But conditions have changed over the past two years, with an Ankara-allied government taking power in Syria after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey pursuing an end to its decades-long conflict with the PKK.
Güler said Turkey had established security coordination with Syria’s new government, with Turkish troops helping strengthen the Syrian military and secure the border.
“Once the terrorist threat in the region has been completely eliminated, border security has been ensured and state authority has been fully and uniformly established throughout Syria without exception, the status of our forces will be reassessed,” he said.
Turkey had between 16,000 and 18,000 troops in northern Syria when Assad fell, a Turkish official told AFP.
No reliable figure has been available since then, although a Turkish official last month said talks were underway to determine the legal status of Turkish troops in Syria.
Güler declined to discuss future deployments or bases.
“At this stage it would not be appropriate to make a prior assessment regarding deployment or base plans that have not been made public,” he said.
Decisions about Turkey’s forces in Syria would take account of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity, agreements between the two governments, security conditions and threats from militant groups, he added.
Turkish troops also conduct ground operations and airstrikes against PKK positions in northern Iraq, where Turkey’s network of bases has strained relations with Baghdad.
An Iraqi security source put the number of Turkish troops there at between 800 and 1,000.
Güler did not disclose troop numbers in either country, explaining that deployments depended on threats, border security and conditions on the ground.
“It would not be accurate to assess our military presence in Iraq and Syria solely on the basis of personnel numbers. Our force structure and posture on the ground are shaped according to needs,” he said.
As efforts to end the PKK conflict have progressed, militants destroyed weapons at a ceremony last year and withdrew from four bases in northern Iraq this month, a move confirmed by Turkish intelligence.
Güler said lasting success required the PKK to carry out its decision to dissolve, adding that Turkey was monitoring the next stages of the process.
“The progress of the process doesn’t mean security measures have been relaxed,” he said.
Turkish troops continued to take precautions against potential threats, he added.
Turkey was also monitoring Iraq’s efforts to disarm militia groups and bring them under state control, Güler said, welcoming progress in Sinjar, a region of northern Iraq.
Iraq has set a June 30, 2027, deadline for Iran-backed factions to surrender their weapons to the state following the end of the US-led coalition’s mission in the country.
After Iraqi forces made gains in Sinjar, Turkey announced last month that it would gradually transfer control of its Bashiqa base, near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, to Baghdad, without providing a timetable.
Güler said Turkey would continue supporting Iraq and planned to expand military and security cooperation between the two countries.
© Agence France-Presse
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