U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (center) and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (right) in Ankara on Dec. 12, 2024. (Credit: Andrew Caballero/AFP)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Friday that it is ''imperative'' to continue efforts against ISIS in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The remarks came during his visit to Ankara, Turkey's capital, as part of a regional tour following Assad's ousting in a rebel-led offensive.
During a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Blinken said, ''Our country has worked very hard [...] to ensure the elimination of ISIS’s territorial caliphate and to guarantee that this threat does not reemerge. It is imperative that we continue these efforts.''
Fidan echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of stabilizing Syria swiftly and preventing terrorism from taking root. ''Our priorities include ensuring stability in Syria as quickly as possible, preventing terrorism, and avoiding domination by ISIS and the PKK,'' Fidan stated, referencing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization.
'No weakness in fighting ISIS'
On Thursday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Blinken that Turkey would allow ''no weakness'' in the fight against ISIS.
''As the only NATO country to have fought ISIS face-to-face, Turkey will prevent any efforts by the PKK and its extensions to exploit the situation on the ground and will allow no weakness in the fight against ISIS,'' Erdogan said, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
While Islamist-led rebels advanced on Damascus, pro-Turkey groups launched their own offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed coalition Blinken described as ''essential'' to preventing ISIS’s resurgence in Syria. The clashes raised concerns over diverging priorities among NATO allies in Syria.
'Encouraging signs' of a ceasefire in Gaza
Blinken also expressed optimism about progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza, stating on Friday, ''We have discussed Gaza and the opportunity [...] to establish a ceasefire. What we’ve seen in recent weeks are as encouraging signs as possible.''
Blinken urged Turkey to leverage its influence over Hamas to encourage acceptance of a ceasefire.
''In my discussions with President Erdogan and Minister Fidan, we talked about the necessity for Hamas to say yes to a possible agreement and finally help bring an end to this. We greatly appreciate the role Turkey can play by using its voice with Hamas to achieve this,'' he added.
During his visit to Jordan on Thursday, Blinken had also discussed efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza. This marked his 12th visit to the Middle East since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Turkey has maintained close ties with Hamas for years, viewing it as a national liberation movement rather than a terrorist organization, unlike most Western nations. Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, has hosted Hamas political leaders, who have used Istanbul as one of their foreign bases during his two decades in power.