Ankara as Interested in Syrian Integrity as Damascus - Turkish Ex-FM

Turkey's former Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis stated that Ankara's interest in territorial integrity of Syria is closely tied with the Kurdish issue, as Turkey seeks to avoid the scenario where the Turkish Kurds could follow the example of the Syrian Kurds who may one day decide to separate from Damascus.

SOCHI (Sputnik) — Turkey is interested in the territorial integrity of the Syrian state, which means that the goals of Ankara and Damascus regarding the issue coincide, Turkey's former Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said at a session of Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi.

"Turkey's interest now concides with the interest of Bashar Assad in the preservation of the territorial integrity of Syria," Yakis said.

Ankara's interest in territorial integrity of Syria is closely tied with the Kurdish issue, as Turkey seeks to avoid the scenario where the Turkish Kurds could follow the example of the Syrian Kurds who may one day decide to separate from Damascus, he added.

"The Kurds themselves say they want to remain within the Syrian state, but established an autonomy [Rojava]," Yakis pointed out.

Kurds are Syria’s largest ethnic minority. The Kurdish population also lives in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. In March, they declared a federal region in northern Syria. The Syrian government responded by saying that the Kurds’ unilateral decision had no legal power.