Erdogan censures SDF over ‘delaying’ prisoner swap with Damascus

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday criticized the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for what he described as “delaying tactics” in implementing a prisoner exchange with the Syrian government.

"We see that the Syrian Democratic Forces are still resorting to delaying tactics; it is essential that they abandon this approach," Erdogan said.

A new round of prisoner exchanges between the SDF and Damascus was scheduled to take place on Wednesday in the northern city of Aleppo. However, media outlets affiliated with the Kurdish-led force reported that the meeting had been postponed.

The delay affects the implementation of an April agreement between the SDF and the Damascus administration. The deal outlines a prisoner swap and joint security arrangements in Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of northern Aleppo, which were previously controlled by the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the backbone of the SDF.

The two sides have already exchanged hundreds of prisoners under the agreement.
 
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) - the women’s branch of the YPG - told Rudaw on Wednesday that the exchange was delayed “after the Syrian army refused to release female prisoners.”

Referring to a landmark agreement reached in March between the SDF and Damascus, which laid the groundwork for the ongoing prisoner exchange deals, Erdogan said, “We are closely monitoring the implementation of the decisions taken. The essential point is that the commitments are fulfilled according to the agreed timetable.”

The March deal includes provisions for integrating the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus, recognizing Kurds as an integral part of Syria, establishing a nationwide ceasefire, and facilitating the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns.