Kurdish militia withdraws slowly from Aleppo amid fear of more sectarian killings in Syria
MENA
A vague April 1 deal stipulated a Kurdish pull-out from the country's second city
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Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey warns Syrian Kurds: Don't become Israeli pawns
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday issued yet another ultimatum to Syrian Kurdish armed groups, urging them to abandon hopes of cooperating with Israel against Damascus and to honour their agreement to integrate with the central government. In an unusually sharp tone, Fidan said Ankara was not naive and was fully aware of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) activities. 'They say that the agreement we made with Syria does not bind us much in terms of the clauses written in it,' he said. 'Well then, what does concern you? Is it making the esteemed Kurdish brothers of the region into Israel's pawns that concerns you?' Fidan's remarks came as Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shaibani visited Ankara, accompanied by the Syrian defence minister and intelligence chief, to discuss security challenges in northern Syria as well as the situation in Sweida. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Tuesday, Shaibani had attended a meeting in Jordan with US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, aiming to find a path forward that would accommodate both Syrian and Israeli concerns regarding the safety of the Druze community in Suwayda. At the joint press conference in Ankara, Shaibani also criticised a recent conference held by the SDF in Hasakah, where representatives of various ethnic and religious minority groups called for autonomy. He said they did not represent the Syrian people and warned that Damascus remained resolute in preserving Syria's territorial integrity. Damascus last week cancelled a meeting with SDF representatives in Paris in protest for the conference, partially also because of Turkey's objections to the French mediation. Negotiations and centralisation In March, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a memorandum with SDF commander Mazlum Abdi, agreeing in principle to integrate with Damascus. The deal included incorporating SDF forces into the national army, transferring control of borders, government institutions, prisons, and oil and gas fields to the central authorities. This step coincided with Turkey's own peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which announced its dissolution in May following appeals from its imprisoned founder Abdullah Ocalan. The SDF later said the process doesn't concern them either. Since then, the SDF, widely seen as a PKK offshoot, has shifted its stance and begun demanding autonomy and a decentralised system of governance, particularly after Israeli air strikes on Damascus and southern Syria. In multiple interviews, Abdi has said he wants the SDF to remain under a separate command structure. 'In an environment where Turkey's security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here' - Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan warned that Ankara's patience was wearing thin as the SDF failed to take concrete steps to address Turkish security concerns. 'At present, we see that members of the SDF coming from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe have not left Syria,' he said, referring to the foreign fighters the SDF had pledged to expel. 'On the contrary, we see that they are waiting for possible problems to maximise their benefit from all processes - both in Damascus and in Ankara. They should not think we do not see this; we do see it.' Fidan further alleged that the SDF was seeking Israeli assistance to maintain control over Arab-majority areas by force and to preserve its ties to the PKK. 'But in an environment where Turkey's security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here,' he said. While calling on the SDF to pursue peace with both Turkey and Damascus, Fidan also suggested that no one should be surprised by potential developments, hinting that Ankara was prepared to take other measures, possibly including military action. Deadlines Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Turkey and the US, in a meeting with SDF officials, had given Abdi's group a 30-day deadline to accelerate the process of joining Damascus. That deadline is set to expire within days. According to a regional source speaking to MEE, US officials warned the SDF that the international coalition might not be able to shield them if Damascus decided to launch a military offensive in the event the 10 March agreement was not upheld. Security sources told MEE that while Turkey would not directly intervene against the SDF, the Turkish Armed Forces could provide indirect support for a limited operation carried out by the Syrian army. They said preparations for such an operation had already been completed. Syrian democracy campaigners wary of upcoming 'selected' elections Read More » The sources also revealed that US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, in meetings with Turkish officials in Ankara, requested more time for diplomatic efforts and negotiations with the SDF. Turkish officials reportedly responded, in diplomatic terms, that 'the decision and authority on the matter rest with the Damascus government, and that in line with the military cooperation between Damascus and Turkey and Turkey's national security sensitivities, any request for support from Damascus would be met positively'. Meanwhile, intermittent clashes have broken out between the Syrian army and the SDF in Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, and around the Tishrin Dam last week, with both sides trading blame for the escalation. Syrian security sources told MEE that the Syrian delegation's visit to Ankara would focus on this context, with key agenda items including shared threats, border security, follow-up on agreements, and potential economic investments. Last month, Syria formally requested that Turkey extend security assistance. The sources added that discussions on the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces in Syria would also be part of the talks.
The National
6 days ago
- The National
Syrian government pulls out of Paris talks with Kurds after minorities call for federal system
Syria 's government will not take part in talks in Paris to mediate differences with a powerful Kurdish-led force after it hosted a meeting of religious and ethnic minorities that called for a decentralised administration, Syrian state media reported on Saturday. 'The government affirms that this conference has dealt a blow to continuing negotiation efforts,' the Sana news agency quoted a government official as saying. 'Accordingly, it will not participate in any meetings scheduled for Paris and will not sit at the negotiating table with any party seeking to revive the era of the former regime under any pretext or cover.' The official said the government calls on 'calls on international mediators to move all negotiations to Damascus, as it is the legitimate and national address for dialogue among Syrians'. Syria's new government, set up by rebel groups who overthrew former president Bashar Al Assad in December, is seeking to extend its control over the entire country and integrate all armed groups into the state security forces following more than 13 years of civil war. While many groups have complied, the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have resisted despite agreeing to do so under a deal reached in March. The Syrian government, France and the United States announced last month that they had agreed to convene 'as soon as possible' talks in Paris to integrate the autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. The move is seen as essential as the new government, dominated by figures from a rebel group once affiliated with al Qaeda, seeks to rebuild the country's economy and infrastructure after winning international support and investment. However, bouts of violence against minority groups by state or state-affiliated forces in the Sunni-majority country have raised concerns about whether the government will honour its promise to treat all citizens equally. On Friday, hundreds of representatives of ethnic and religious minorities met in the SDF-controlled north-eastern city of Hassakeh and called for the formation of a decentralised state and the drafting of a new constitution that guarantees religious, cultural and ethnic pluralism. They condemned recent acts of violence by pro-government gunmen against the country's minorities – primarily Alawites, Druze and Christians – and argued that these amount to crimes against humanity. The government has said it plans to hold elections next month and begin the process of drafting a new constitution, without providing a time frame. Speaking at the conference, Ghazal Ghazal, the spiritual leader of Syria's Alawite minority, to whom Mr Al Assad belongs, called for setting up a decentralised or federal system that protects religious and cultural rights of all sections of the population, Associated Press reported. The demand for a federal system was raised previously by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, which the government rejected. The government source quoted by Sana said that religious or ethnic groups have the right to express their political visions, provided 'they do not impose their vision on the form of the Syrian state'. 'What happened in the north-east of the country does not represent a comprehensive national framework, but rather an alliance that includes parties harmed by the victory of the Syrian people and the fall of the defunct regime, along with some entities attempting to monopolise the representation of Syria's components by the force of the status quo,' Sana quoted him as saying.
Dubai Eye
7 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Turkish foreign minister in Damascus for talks with Syria's Sharaa
Turkey's foreign minister will hold talks with Syria's president in Damascus on Thursday to assess bilateral ties, tensions between Syria and Israel, and recent clashes between a Kurdish-led group and the Syrian government, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said. NATO member Turkey has emerged as one of Syria's main foreign allies after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad last year. It has pledged to help rebuild the war-torn country, train and advise its armed forces, and support it in the international arena. The source said Syria's reconstruction would be among the top agenda items during Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in addition to Ankara's security concerns over recent violence in Syria. "The talks are expected to assess Turkey's national security concerns stemming from northeast Syria, as well as cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorist organisations... at a time when preserving Syria's territorial integrity and unity is more important than ever," the source said. Ankara considers the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces a terrorist organisation. It has repeatedly said the SDF, which controls much of northeast Syria, must abide by an agreement it signed with Damascus in March to integrate into the Syrian state apparatus, while also providing technical, advisory and military support to Syria to increase its defence capabilities and fight Islamic State militants. Fidan's visit follows clashes this week between the SDF and Syrian government forces in Manbij and Aleppo, and weeks of tensions between Israel and Syria over fighting between Druze and Bedouin forces last month, which Ankara has described as an Israeli sabotage attempt against efforts to achieve stability in Syria. Fidan, who has said Israel aimed to fragment Syria and that Ankara would not allow this, will also discuss "the actions and rhetoric of Israel that pose a threat to Syria and the region's stability", the source said.
