Operation talks between the US and Türkiye

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned Turkey against the possibility of a new military operation in Syria. In a phone conversation with Austin, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar noted that the only targets are terrorists and that harming coalition forces or civilians is out of the question. The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has warned Turkey against a possible new operation targeting areas controlled by the PYD in Syria. In a written statement made by the Pentagon, it was stated that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin conveyed to his counterpart Hulusi Akar that “the Pentagon strongly opposes a military operation in Syria.” The Pentagon stated that a possible operation would harm the PYD, which is acting as an ally of the US in the region, in its fight against ISIS. According to a statement made by the Ministry of National Defense, Minister Akar noted to his counterpart that the only targets are terrorists and that harming coalition forces or civilians is out of the question. Before the Austin-Akar meeting, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also criticized the US for its support for the PYD. Speaking after the NATO meeting in Brussels, Çavuşoğlu said, “The support that some allies, primarily the US, are giving to terrorist organizations in Syria is obvious. We say that this type of support must end.”