Defense officials said on Dec. 31 that Türkiye would back the Syrian government if it moved against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as tensions persist over a stalled agreement to integrate the latter into Syria’s national army.
"SDF continues to voice demands for decentralization and federalism and has not taken steps toward integrating into the central authority,” Defense Ministry officials told reporters during a weekly briefing in Ankara.
Ankara has long pressed the U.S.-backed SDF to comply with a March 10 deal with Damascus that envisages its corporation into Syria’s armed forces. Turkish officials said on Dec. 31 delays by SDF "threaten Syria's territorial integrity and stability."
“We maintain close cooperation with the Syrian government in line with the principle of ‘one state, one army,’ and we are closely monitoring the integration process,” the officials said. “If the Syrian government decides to take an initiative for its unity and integrity, Türkiye will support it.”
The remarks followed a meeting in Ankara between Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Syrian Chief of General Staff Noureddine al-Naasan. Turkish Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu also attended the talks.
Senior Turkish and Syrian officials issued a joint warning to SDF during talks in Damascus on Dec. 22, urging it to move quickly toward full integration with the Syrian national army. The warning came days before the year-end deadline set out in the agreement.
The Turkish delegation to Damascus included Güler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın, who met their Syrian counterparts — Murhaf Abu Qasra, Asaad al-Shibani and Hussein al-Salama. The delegation, which also included Türkiye's newly appointed ambassador to Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, was received by Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The renewed pressure on SDF comes as Türkiye presses ahead with an anti-terrorism campaign at home, following a declaration of a ceasefire by PKK, and its announcement that it would disband and lay down arms. The backbone of the SDF is YPG, which Ankara views as a direct extension of PKK.
