Blinken stresses to Erdogan the need for all parties to ensure the safety of Syrian civilians

During a meeting on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to prioritize the protection of Syrian civilians following the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime by Turkish-backed rebels. For ongoing updates, please refer to our liveblog.

In his discussions with Erdogan in Turkey, Blinken emphasized the necessity of safeguarding Syrian civilians after the Islamist factions supported by Ankara dismantled the government in Damascus.

According to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken stressed the importance of all parties in Syria adhering to human rights standards, upholding international humanitarian law, and taking all possible measures to protect civilians, particularly those from minority groups.

Turkey has highlighted its security concerns in the wake of the turmoil in Syria, where it has been engaged in conflict with a Kurdish-led force that the United States supports as a crucial ally in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group. Blinken recognized Turkey’s “real and clear interests” regarding the PKK, which Ankara associates with Kurdish fighters in Syria.

Blinken also conveyed to Erdogan the necessity of maintaining the coalition’s efforts to defeat ISIS, as stated by Miller. He remarked, “At the same time, we want to avoid igniting any further conflicts within Syria.” In a statement to reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, he added, “It is essential to prevent ISIS from resurfacing, and a key component in achieving this is the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which we have been supporting.”