Ankara, Damascus discuss joint fight against ‘terrorist organizations’
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Damascus on Thursday to discuss cooperation in the fight against “terrorist organizations,” Fidan said in a social media post.
Their talks “particularly focused on security issues,” Fidan said in a post on X, adding that “as Turkey, we will continue to support Syria’s fight against terrorist organizations.”
Earlier in the day, Turkish state media Anadolu Agency reported that they would discuss Ankara’s national security concerns related to northeastern Syria (Rojava) and cooperating in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and Kurdish armed forces.
Turkey considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has decided to disarm and dissolve itself as part of talks with Ankara to end decades of war in return for political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Ankara is a strong supporter of the new government in Damascus, which was formed from the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Statements from Sharaa’s office and Syrian state media SANA did not refer to the PKK and YPG, but more generally mentioned discussions about regional developments and enhancing cooperation.
Tensions are high between Kurdish forces and the interim Syrian government. Fighting broke out on Monday between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto army of Rojava - and factions affiliated with Damascus, who the SDF accused of launching attacks on their positions. A day prior, the SDF and Damascus exchanged blame for a previous attack in northern Syria’s Manbij city, where four Syrian government troops and three civilians were reportedly injured.
These attacks are placing a landmark integration deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led northeast Syria administration at risk. The deal is to integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions into the state while recognizing the Kurds as an integral part of Syria. The agreement, implementation of which has largely stalled in recent months, also includes a countrywide ceasefire and the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns.
Damascus and Rojava representatives are expected to meet in Paris in the near future to continue discussing the March 10 agreement, which has been endorsed by Turkey.
Their talks “particularly focused on security issues,” Fidan said in a post on X, adding that “as Turkey, we will continue to support Syria’s fight against terrorist organizations.”
Earlier in the day, Turkish state media Anadolu Agency reported that they would discuss Ankara’s national security concerns related to northeastern Syria (Rojava) and cooperating in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and Kurdish armed forces.
Turkey considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has decided to disarm and dissolve itself as part of talks with Ankara to end decades of war in return for political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Ankara is a strong supporter of the new government in Damascus, which was formed from the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Statements from Sharaa’s office and Syrian state media SANA did not refer to the PKK and YPG, but more generally mentioned discussions about regional developments and enhancing cooperation.
Tensions are high between Kurdish forces and the interim Syrian government. Fighting broke out on Monday between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto army of Rojava - and factions affiliated with Damascus, who the SDF accused of launching attacks on their positions. A day prior, the SDF and Damascus exchanged blame for a previous attack in northern Syria’s Manbij city, where four Syrian government troops and three civilians were reportedly injured.
These attacks are placing a landmark integration deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led northeast Syria administration at risk. The deal is to integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions into the state while recognizing the Kurds as an integral part of Syria. The agreement, implementation of which has largely stalled in recent months, also includes a countrywide ceasefire and the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns.
Damascus and Rojava representatives are expected to meet in Paris in the near future to continue discussing the March 10 agreement, which has been endorsed by Turkey.