PM Yıldırım says Turkey to play more active role in Syria

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said that Turkey will become more active in containing the conflict in Syria over the next 6 months when speaking to media on Saturday.

Yıldırım emphasised that Turkey is adamant in its support for a unified Syria rather than one divided along ethnic or sectarian lines:

He also suggested to reporters that Ankara may be open to the leader of the Syrian regime, Bashar al Assad, staying power during a transition period but that he has no place in Syria's future.

As the situation in Syria appears increasingly fluid the Turkish Government is concerned that the YPG – which is an extension of the PKK terrorist organization – may gain further territory, potentially threatening Turkey's security.

The YPG has recently engaged in fighting with Syrian regime forces, which it had previously collaborated with, in the northern city of Hasaka.

The group also forms a substantial part of the Syrian Democratic Forces – the alliance of opposition factions which seized the city of Manbij from the DAESH terrorist organisation last week.