Turkey’s influence in Syria must be carefully managed to prevent further regional destabilisation, Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told Sky News Tuesday.
In an interview with the British TV channel, the minister emphasised the need to consider regional sensitivities and highlighted renewed conflicts involving Kurdish populations across northeastern Syria, northern Iraq, and southern Turkey, describing the situation as “very volatile”.
When questioned about support for Kurdish self-determination, Kombos noted the international community’s previous failure to support the Kurds at critical moments. He called for an approach that would allow Kurds to exercise their right to self-determination while maintaining regional stability and stopping ongoing attacks against Kurdish populations.
Asked by news anchor Anna Botting on whether he would therefore “support a Kurdish homeland”, Kombos said, “We need to remember that the Kurds were left on their own during critical moments in time, so the international community needs to look at the issue again in a way that ensures there is the necessary stability in the area”.
“The stability of the region depends on how the Kurds are able to exercise their right to self-determination in a way that is constructive Syria, and constructive towards the whole region, but at the same time, we need to ensure that the attacks which are going on against the Kurds are being contained, are stopped,” he added.
Regarding Syria’s future following the Assad regime’s fall, Kombos stressed the need for an inclusive transition process without third-party interference, while warning of potential instability similar to other post-dictatorship scenarios. “We must have an inclusive, open, transparent and autonomous process which will lead to a transition of power, certainly without interference from third parties,” he said.
He also advocated for cautious engagement with Syria’s new leadership, emphasising the importance of ensuring minority rights and transparent power transition.
The minister’s comments coincided with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Ankara, where she met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss Syrian refugees. Von der Leyen announced an additional €1 billion in EU funding for 2024 to support Turkey’s refugee programmes, including health care, education, and voluntary repatriation efforts.
The new funding adds to the EU’s previous €10 billion contribution since 2011 for refugee support in Turkey, which von der Leyen described as a “key partner in the Eastern Mediterranean in terms of migration management”.
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