![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/01\/07\/opinion\/07ERDOGAN-top\/merlin_148573395_bf6a0881-4634-4474-8312-54fc9b68c186-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPresident\n Trump made the right call to withdraw from Syria. The United States \nwithdrawal, however, must be planned carefully and performed in \ncooperation with the right partners to protect the interests of the \nUnited States, the international community and the Syrian people. \nTurkey, which has NATO\u2019s second largest standing army, is the only \ncountry with the power and commitment to perform that task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2016, Turkey became the first country to deploy ground combat troops to fight the so-called Islamic State<\/a> in Syria. \nOur military incursion severed the group\u2019s access to NATO\u2019s borders and \nimpeded their ability to carry out terror attacks in Turkey and Europe. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey delivering a speech in Ankara, Turkey, last month.CreditAdem Altan\/Agence France-Presse \u2014 Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike coalition operations in Raqqa and Mosul, which relied heavily on airstrikes<\/a>\n that were carried out with little or no regard for civilian casualties,\n Turkish troops and fighters of the Free Syrian Army went door to door \nto root out insurgents in Al Bab, a former stronghold of the so-called \nIslamic State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our approach left the \ncity\u2019s core infrastructure largely intact and made it possible for life \nto return to normal within days. Today, children are back at school, a Turkish-funded hospital<\/a>\n treats the sick, and new business projects create jobs and bolster the \nlocal economy. This stable environment is the only cure for terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turkey\n is committed to defeating the so-called Islamic State and other \nterrorist groups in Syria, because the Turkish people are all too \nfamiliar with the threat of violent extremism. In 2003, when I became \nprime minister, coordinated attacks by Al Qaeda<\/a> claimed dozens of lives in Turkey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More recently, the so-called Islamic State terrorists targeted our citizens<\/a>,\n our way of life and the inclusive, moderate worldview that our \ncivilization represents. A few years back, the terrorist group called me\n \u201ctreacherous Satan<\/a>.\u201d We saw the horror in the faces of thousands of Christians and Yazidis, who sought refuge in Turkey<\/a> when these terrorists came for them in Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have 1 free article<\/strong> remaining.Subscribe to The Times<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\n say this again: There will be no victory for the terrorists. Turkey \nwill continue to do what it must to ensure its own safety and the \nwell-being of the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Militarily\n speaking, the so-called Islamic State has been defeated in Syria. Yet \nwe are deeply concerned that some outside powers may use the \norganization\u2019s remnants as an excuse to meddle in Syria\u2019s internal \naffairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A military victory against the terrorist group is a mere first step. The lesson of Iraq, where this terrorist group was born<\/a>, is that premature declarations of victory <\/a>and the reckless actions they tend to spur create more problems than they solve. The international community cannot afford to make the same mistake again today. Turkey\n proposes a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of \nradicalization. We want to ensure that citizens do not feel disconnected\n from government, terrorist groups do not get to prey on the grievances \nof local communities and ordinary people can count on a stable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\n first step is to create a stabilization force featuring fighters from \nall parts of Syrian society. Only a diverse body can serve all Syrian \ncitizens and bring law and order to various parts of the country. In \nthis sense, I would like to point out that we have no argument with the \nSyrian Kurds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under wartime conditions, many young Syrians had no choice but to join the P.Y.D.\/Y.P.G., the Syrian branch of the P.K.K.<\/a>,\n that Turkey and the United States consider a terrorist organization. \nAccording to Human Rights Watch, the Y.P.G. militants have violated \ninternational law by recruiting children<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following\n the United States withdrawal from Syria, we will complete an intensive \nvetting process to reunite child soldiers with their families and \ninclude all fighters with no links to terrorist organizations in the new\n stabilization force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensuring \nadequate political representation for all communities is another \npriority. Under Turkey\u2019s watch, the Syrian territories that are under \nthe control of the Y.P.G. or the so-called Islamic State will be \ngoverned by popularly elected councils. Individuals with no links to \nterrorist groups will be eligible to represent their communities in \nlocal governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local councils in \npredominantly Kurdish parts of northern Syria will largely consist of \nthe Kurdish community\u2019s representatives whilst ensuring that all other \ngroups enjoy fair political representation. Turkish officials with \nrelevant experience will advise them on municipal affairs, education, \nhealth care and emergency services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Turkey\n intends to cooperate and coordinate our actions with our friends and \nallies. We have been closely involved in the Geneva and Astana \nprocesses, and are the sole stakeholder that can work simultaneously \nwith the United States and Russia. We will build on those partnerships \nto get the job done in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\n is time for all stakeholders to join forces to end the terror unleashed\n by the Islamic State, an enemy of Islam and Muslims around the world, \nand to preserve Syria\u2019s territorial integrity. Turkey is volunteering to\n shoulder this heavy burden at a critical time in history. We are \ncounting on the international community to stand with us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the president of Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/07\/opinion\/erdogan-turkey-syria.html <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A comprehensive strategy to promote long-term peace and stability in Syria can be achieved through Turkey\u2019s leadership, the president of Turkey writes. By Recep Tayyip Erdogan Mr. Erdogan is the president of Turkey. President Trump made the right call to withdraw from Syria. The United States withdrawal, however, must be planned carefully and performed in … <\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/01\/07\/opinion\/07ERDOGAN\/merlin_148319265_acd54941-8357-486e-8e66-2e249625cb7a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n