Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Tuesday that Turkish troops will remain in Syria and Iraq until border security is assured. The announcement makes the deployment conditional rather than announcing an immediate withdrawal. Guler tied the decision to the need to protect Turkey's borders. He did not provide a date for a troop drawdown or explain how the security condition would be assessed. The statement therefore leaves the size and duration of the military presence open. Any future reduction would depend on whether Ankara judges that border security has been secured.