Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said today, Saturday, that his country is in talks with Russia to use the airspace over northern Syria in a possible cross-border operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units.
This came at a press conference in Ankara following the year-end meeting to evaluate the activities of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, where Akar said, "We are in talks and discussing with Russia on all issues, including opening airspace."
In response to a question about the possibility of holding a meeting between the defense ministers of Turkey, Russia and the Syrian regime, Akar said that Ankara "is doing what is necessary to protect the country's rights and interests, in accordance with appropriate procedures at all levels, and is conducting contacts in this framework."
He added that Turkey never ignores meetings and talks, and is not closed to dialogue, as he put it.
Akar stated that the Turkish operations in northern Syria prevented the establishment of "the terrorist corridor to be formed on its southern borders."
He added that Turkey sends the necessary messages to all parties concerned with the Syrian file, and takes its steps without allowing anyone to prejudice its sovereignty and interests, as he put it.
The Turkish Minister of Defense indicated that his country's forces had "neutralized 3,982 terrorists" inside the country and northern Iraq and Syria since the beginning of this year.
The Turkish army carried out air strikes on targets of the Kurdish units in northern Syria last November, in response to the Istiklal Street bombing in Istanbul, which Ankara held responsible for those units and the PKK.
Turkish forces then said they had made preparations for a possible ground incursion into northern Syria, to drive the Kurdish units away from their borders, an operation opposed by both Russia and the United States.