Latest news with #Fidan
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkish FM: Gaza ceasefire talks stopped on 3 points
Shafaq News – Ankara On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan revealed that negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza are stalled over three key points. In a televised interview, Fidan explained that the first point of contention concerns how humanitarian aid will be distributed in Gaza and which party will oversee it after a ceasefire is declared, noting that Hamas wants the United Nations to handle aid delivery, while Israel opposes this arrangement. The second issue relates to the withdrawal of Israeli ground troops from Gaza and the locations where those forces would redeploy. The third and most disputed point reportedly involves Hamas's demand for Israel to commit to maintaining the ceasefire terms even after all Israeli hostages are released. Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that Hamas 'never truly wanted a deal,' a day after American and Israeli delegations withdrew from the Doha talks on prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in Gaza. He announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should escalate military operations in Gaza. 'It got to a point where you have to finish the job. You're gonna have to get rid of Hamas… now they are going to be hunted down.' However, Egypt and Qatar clarified in a joint statement that the pause in negotiations was merely to allow for consultations before resuming dialogue, calling it a normal step in a complex negotiation process between Hamas and Israel. #MOFAQatar — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) July 25, 2025 Hamas official, Izzat al-Risheq, rejected the US claims, saying they contradict the assessments of the mediators and do not reflect the actual progress being made in the talks.
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye accuses actors of sabotaging Syrian stability
Shafaq News – Ankara On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan flagged growing instability in Syria after clashes erupted in the southern province of Suwayda, noting 'suspicious' movements across several regions. Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan warned that some groups are exploiting the unrest in Suwayda, raising concerns over Syria's fragmentation. 'We have always seen that some actors seek to benefit from Syria's division, instability, and lack of recovery, wanting Syria to remain trapped in despair, frustration, and negativity,' Fidan remarked. BAKAN FİDAN NTV'NİN SORULARINI YANITLADI-Suriye'de devlet dışında silahlı grup olmamalı-Suriye'nin istikrarı ve güvenliği milli güvenliğimiz için önemli-YPG'nin silah bırakmasını bekliyoruz-Bir 40 yıl daha kaybedecek sabrımız yok Foto: NTV — NTV (@ntv) July 25, 2025 Suwayda has seen rising tensions between local armed groups and Syrian government forces backed by personnel from the Defense and Interior Ministries. Since July 13, clashes—including summary executions and Israeli airstrikes—have resulted in 1,386 deaths. A ceasefire was announced on July 21. Fidan stressed Syria's strategic importance to Turkiye's national security, calling for unity and stability in neighboring countries. He also referred to ongoing efforts by Turkiye, regional states, the European Union, and the United States to secure peace in the region. Accusing some actors, including Israel, of undermining diplomatic efforts, Fidan explained that after negotiations and international initiatives failed to produce results, these groups shifted to more aggressive actions. 'When diplomatic negotiations and international efforts failed to produce the expected outcome, these actors resorted to a completely different scenario,' he concluded, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pessimistic remarks about Syria's future.
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey calls on SDF to expedite integration with Damascus
Also in Middle East Turkey says SDF must prove commitment to integration deal with Damascus Turkey accuses Israel of trying to 'divide Syria,' vows to intervene Iraq says Turkey ready to renew, expand oil export deal PKK disarmament could be completed within four months: Kurdish lawmaker A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday called on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to speed up their integration into the interim government in Damascus. Negotiations between the SDF and Damascus, however, appear to have hit an impasse with the Kurdish-led force wary about the Syrian government, which it accused of making 'unacceptable' demands. 'It's important that the SDF, without wasting time and willingly, reaches an agreement with the central government, takes genuine and unambiguous steps to implement this agreement, and that Turkey be held as a witness for security,' Fidan told Turkish broadcaster NTV on Friday, referring to the March 10 agreement between the SDF and Damascus. That agreement outlines the future of the SDF and the region it controls in northeast Syria (Rojava). While parts of the agreement have been implemented, key provisions - such as integrating the US-backed SDF into Syrian state forces - remain contested. Fidan said Ankara also expects the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, to disarm. 'It's unacceptable for armed structures to continue their existence in this country by using certain things as excuses. We expect the YPG to lay down its arms,' he said. Turkey considers the YPG a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has decided to disarm and dissolve itself as part of talks with Ankara to end decades of war in return of political and cultural rights for Kurds. There have been at least two meetings between SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa since Bashar al-Assad's regime was ousted in December. Recent massacres of Alawites and Druze by forces affiliated with or supported by Damascus have concerned Kurds and made them reluctant to give up their weapons. "They ask us to surrender all our weapons and dissolve the SDF. In return, they will make us commanders and ministers. We have no ambition to become commanders in the army or assume positions like minister. We are struggling for the existence of this nation," Farhad Shami, head of SDF's media centre, told SDF-affiliated Ronahi TV on Friday. He said that the mass killings of Alawites in the coastal areas and Druze in southern Syria have convinced the SDF that only weapons can protect the people of Rojava. Shami noted that they have conveyed this stance to US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack. The US and France have been engaged in talks with the SDF and Damascus to accelerate the implementation of the March 10 agreement, which is endorsed by Turkey. "The meetings are being held between two strong parties. If one of us is weak, why should we even meet? One would terminate the other and the story ends. We go to the meetings because we are strong. Attending the meetings does not mean we are surrendering ourselves. We are not affiliated with the Damascus government... and they have to understand this. They want the opposite. We are Syrians too but we have a project," Shami said. "They want us to take part in the army and government as individuals, not as an entity. We say this is not acceptable," he added. An unnamed senior official from the Syrian government told al-Ikhbariya TV on Thursday that Damascus will not accept the SDF retaining their weapons. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with Abdi on Friday to confirm that Paris will host the next round of talks between the SDF and Damascus. Barrot also reiterated France's support for Syrian Kurds, according to the French foreign ministry. Earlier in the day, Barrot met with Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The meeting, in which they discussed negotiations between the SDF and Damascus, was 'very frank and productive,' according to the French ministry. Kurdish leaders have voiced concern over the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by Syria's interim government. They have repeatedly denied accusations that they favour separatism. Kurds held a national conference earlier this year that concluded with a call for decentralization.
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Turkey FM urges Russia, Ukraine to end ‘bloody war'
ISTANBUL: The third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine opened on Wednesday evening in Istanbul, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urging both sides to end the 'bloody war' as soon as possible. 'Our aim is to end this bloody war, which has a very high cost, as soon as possible … The ultimate goal is a ceasefire that will pave the way to peace,' Fidan said as he opened the negotiations. Turkey, which has good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours, has provided drones for Ukraine and shied away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow. Fidan thanked Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky for demonstrating 'the will to hold these talks', as well US President Donald Trump for his calls for an end to the war. Zelenskiyy says Ukraine, Russia to hold peace talks in Turkey on Wednesday He said the first and second round of talks, which also took place in Istanbul, achieved 'significant results'. 'We are pleased to see that the prisoner exchanges carried out to date have been appreciated by the international community in terms of their humanitarian outcomes,' he said. 'We also consider it an important development that the parties exchanged memoranda reflecting their perspectives on the ceasefire and peace during the second round of talks,' he added. 'Our hope for this third round of negotiations is that the parties will hold substantive and results-oriented consultations on the memorandums they have exchanged.' Fidan also said if a ceasefire is agreed, Turkey has 'the necessary infrastructure in place for a monitoring mechanism'. 'The Istanbul talks provide us with an opportunity to show the world that diplomacy and dialogue are more effective than conflict and weapons in securing peace.'
22-07-2025
- Politics
Turkey warns Kurdish and other groups in Syria against pursuing autonomy
ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against pursuing autonomy, stating that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. At a joint news conference with his Salvadoran counterpart in Ankara, where they discussed expanding relations, Fidan criticized Israel's recent intervention in Syria and urged factions not to exploit the unrest that unfolded in the south of the country for tactical gains, calling on them to integrate while preserving their cultural and religious identity. 'If you go beyond that and use violence to divide and destabilize, we will perceive it as a direct threat to our national security and intervene,' Fidan warned. 'Say whatever you want, make whatever demands you have — as long as it's not about division, we're ready to help. But if you cross that line, we won't leave ourselves exposed to threats,' he said. Turkey strongly supports Syria's interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, frequently stating its commitment to a unified Syrian state. It also backs an agreement reached between the interim administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to integrate into Syria's national army. Fidan's comments come days after tensions escalated in southern Syria, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in Sweida province. The conflict triggered Israeli airstrikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and struck the Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities. 'Trying to extract autonomy or independence from chaos built on blood and created with someone else's help is a perspective that leads nowhere,' Fidan said. 'Now is the time for integration. It's time for everyone to hold onto life while preserving their identity and beliefs.' Since 2016, Turkey has conducted multiple military operations in northern Syria to counter Kurdish fighters and secure its borders.
