With the overthrow of the 61-year Baath regime in Syria, the developments that followed increased Turkey's importance in the region. Following Assad's escape from the country, a notable statement regarding the PKK/YPG terrorist elements, which are increasingly cornered in the region, came from the USA. "WE WILL DISCUSS COUNTER-TERRORISM"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is coming to Turkey today to hold discussions regarding the recent developments in Syria. In statements made before the visit, Blinken said, "Counter-terrorism in Syria is one of the topics we will discuss with Erdoğan. The PKK is a threat to Turkey, but we must avoid opening new avenues for action. We must prevent the resurgence of ISIS in Syria." "WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PKK TO PREVENT THE RESURGENCE OF ISIS"In his statement evaluating the current situation in Syria, US Secretary of State Blinken expressed, "I sincerely hope that Syria can move away from the disasters of the last few decades and become a nation that reflects all the different communities that make up the country, so that we can provide an inclusive political transition that brings everyone together. If Syria goes in the opposite direction and fragments, we will see more mass migration, terrorism, and a region that becomes a center of extremism. None of these are in our interest." Blinken emphasized that they never wanted an environment that would allow the resurgence of ISIS in Syria, mentioning the YPG/PKK by name and stating that they are working together with the terrorist organization on this issue.
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