Turkish defense minister reiterates opposition to Kurdish-run elections in northern Syria

Ankara stated on Monday that Kurdish groups’ plans to hold self-managed local elections in northern Syria are impermissible and will not be allowed to materialize on account of threatening both regional stability and Turkey’s national security.  

Responding to a series of questions sent by the Associated Press, Defense Minister Yasar Guler emphasized his government’s commitment to subduing Kurdish militancy through direct military action, considering the scheduled June 11 municipal elections a dangerous acceleration in Syrian Kurdish nationalism.  

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“The so-called election efforts that threaten the territorial integrity of Syria will negatively affect peace and tranquility in the region,” Guler said.  

Kurdish groups hold de facto military and civil control over a large swatch of northern and eastern Syria, colloquially referred to as Rojava. The semi-autonomous region's official military force, the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is backed and supported by the United States, Turkey’s NATO ally.  

Turning a blind eye to banned Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq 

However, Turkey has long accused regional authorities of turning a blind eye to banned Kurdish groups operating in Syria and Iraq, and since 2016, it has greatly expanded its military incursions into both countries.  

The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s, and the group is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara and its Western allies, such as the EU and the US.  

Ankara maintains a permanent military presence in northern Syria, aiming to create “a 30-40 kilometer (19-24 mile) deep security corridor,” Guler told AP, adding that 63 percent of Syria’s northern border is currently under Turkish control.  

Guler, in his comments, emphasized that Turkey was now carrying out “continuous and comprehensive” actions against the PKK, praising the recent bilateral talks with Baghdad to intensify security cooperation while denouncing other NATO allies for refusing to sell Ankara certain defense technology.