Turkey says it'll act if Syria can't tackle Kurd militia issue

Ankara wants new govt there to address its concerns and disband US-allied group YPG

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ANKARA - Turkey will do "whatever it takes" to ensure its security if the new Syrian administration cannot address Ankara's concerns about US-allied Kurdish groups that it views as terrorist groups, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Dec 21.

Turkey regards the YPG, the militant group spearheading the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington and the European Union.

Hostilities have escalated since the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad less than two weeks ago, with Turkey and Syrian groups it backs seizing the city of Manbij from the SDF on Dec 9.