Syrian Kurdish commander says group in direct contact with Turkey, open to Israel ties
The commander of Kurdish forces that control northeast Syria said on Friday that his group is in direct contact with Turkey and that he would be open to improving ties, including by meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The public comments represented a significant diplomatic overture by Mazloum Abdi, whose Syrian Democratic Forces fought Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels during Syria's 14-year civil war.
Abdi denied accusations that the SDF was in contact with Israel. "People have accused us of this. In this interview, I am saying publicly that we have no ties with Israel," he said. But he said his group supported good ties with Syria's neighbors. When asked if that included Israel, Abdi responded, "with everyone."
Turkey has said the main Kurdish group at the core of the SDF is indistinguishable from the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which decided earlier this month to disband after 40 years of conflict with Turkey.
Abdi told regional broadcaster Shams TV in an interview aired on Friday that his group was in touch with Turkey, without saying how long the communication channels had been open. "We have direct ties, direct channels of communication with Turkey, as well as through mediators, and we hope that these ties are developed," Abdi said. There was no immediate comment from Turkey on Abdi's remarks.
He noted his forces and Turkish fighters "fought long wars against each other" but that a temporary truce had brought a halt to those clashes for the last two months. Abdi said he hoped the truce could become permanent.
When asked whether he was planning to meet Erdogan, Abdi said he had no current plans to do so but "I am not opposed... We are not in a state of war with Turkey and in the future, ties could be developed between us. We're open to this."
The Al-Monitor news website reported on Friday that Turkey had proposed a meeting between Abdi and a top Turkish official, possibly Turkey's foreign minister or its intelligence chief.
A Turkish diplomatic source denied the report, saying "the claims about Turkey and our country's authorities" in the story were "not true," without elaborating.
In December, Turkey and the SDF agreed on a US-mediated ceasefire after fighting broke out as rebel groups advanced on Damascus and overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
Abdi in March signed a deal with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to incorporate the semi-autonomous administration of northeast Syria into the main state institutions based in Damascus.
On Thursday, Erdogan accused the SDF of "stalling" implementation of that deal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IDF calls for urgent action amid rising soldier suicides
"What drew attention is the unusual number of suicides recently,' Stern said. 'We've addressed this before, but it has become more urgent after soldiers returned from fighting in Gaza.' Trigger warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide. Sixteen IDF soldiers have committed suicide in 2025, Brig. Gen. Amir Vadmani of the IDF Personnel Directorate presented to the subcommittee for human resources in the IDF on Tuesday. Additionally, 21 soldiers committed suicide in 2024, 17 in 2023, and 14 in 2022. The committee, chaired by MK Elazar Stern, convened to discuss efforts within the IDF to prevent suicides among soldiers. "What drew attention is the unusual number of suicides recently,' Stern said. 'We've addressed this before, but it has become more urgent after soldiers returned from fighting in Gaza.' The committee met with various family members of soldiers who took their own lives, and outlined their two main goals. The committee will work to reduce soldier suicides 'The first is how to reduce this phenomenon,' Stern explained. 'The IDF has experience in this area. When working groups were established in the past, the IDF succeeded in reducing the number of suicides by tens of percentage points. We need to continue to explore what steps can be taken and how much support soldiers receive from their families, society, and workplaces.' The second goal, he continued, was how the defense system could best comfort the families of the soldiers, potentially with partial or full recognition of the deceased as a fallen soldier. 'We believe that if the defense system can find a way to do so, we would, of course, support it."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'We're on the brink of disaster': Former cmdr. slams Gaza war, humanitarian strategy
'Militarily, Hamas is barely functioning, but on the civilian level, they still control everything. The IDF should have taken control and used that to install alternative leadership.' Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yiftah Ron-Tal, former commander of the IDF ground forces, warned on Thursday that Israel is nearing catastrophe as it remains entrenched in the Gaza Strip after nearly two years of war, while criticizing the government for failing to provide a clear strategy as the humanitarian crisis spirals out of control. 'We are on the brink of disaster. It's our fate,' he told Ron Kupman and Aryeh Eldad during an interview on 103FM. 'We lost control over the humanitarian issue. There is plenty of food in the Gaza Strip, but almost all of it goes to Hamas.' He emphasized that Israel's inability to manage the civilian situation is undermining its military gains. 'You cannot wage war in a territory you occupy without establishing an entity to handle humanitarian and civilian affairs. That failure is now hurting us,' he said. 'Militarily, Hamas is barely functioning, but on the civilian level, they still control everything. The IDF should have taken control and used that to install alternative leadership.' War goals remain unclear Ron-Tal called on the government to clearly define its objectives and to avoid indecision. 'The war cannot last forever,' he said. 'I have strong criticism of the government. It must decide where we are heading, especially given that a partial deal may no longer be possible.' When asked by Eldad about the military's withdrawal of forces from parts of Gaza, Ron-Tal acknowledged growing amounts of operational exhaustion. 'Our reserve forces are very worn out,' he explained. 'The army is static. It completed its goals in Operation Gideon's Chariots and is now awaiting political decisions. Hamas must not remain in Gaza once the war ends. It is neither a partner nor a neighbor, and it has no place near us.' Ron-Tal urges territorial control Asserting that Israel must maintain its military hold, the reserve major-general urged that there be formal control and a new defense line within the Strip. 'We're on the front lines and hold much of the Gaza Strip,' he said. 'We must establish a defensive line and annex the area operationally and administratively. It can be held with relatively few forces unless we choose to act like we do in southern Lebanon - striking whenever infrastructure poses a threat. What's the alternative – Retreat?' Political pressure from within Addressing growing international pressure, Ron-Tal dismissed the threat of diplomatic backlash. 'Is our political situation terrible?' he asked. 'Those who would support Palestinian statehood at the UN have already done so. The real problem is internal. The ones fueling the tension are right here.' Rejects military rule out of fear of occupation Ron-Tal concluded by criticizing the reluctance to impose martial law in the Strip. 'Opposition to military rule stems from an unwillingness to be seen as occupiers or rulers of Gaza,' he said. 'But we forget: it's not an army that has a country; it's a country that has an army. This idea of distribution came from the Americans - look what that's led to.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
IDF chief scraps US visit as Gaza ceasefire stall, 'Post' learns
The Post learned that Zamir had conditioned his US departure on the establishment of a durable Gaza ceasefire. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has canceled a high-level visit to the United States that was scheduled for Tuesday, deciding to remain in Israel while Gaza ceasefire talks are at an impasse, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Zamir's trip was to include participation in Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla's retirement ceremony at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and a round of meetings in Washington with America's top defense and intelligence officials. He was slated to hold a series of meetings with senior US defense officials in Washington—including at the Pentagon—and had also planned to meet representatives of Jewish organizations. Those scheduled to see him included the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the heads of US military intelligence and the CIA. In Washington, the sides were to discuss the lessons of Operation Rising Lion and ways to deepen operational coordination between the IDF and the US military going forward. Kurilla, who has forged an unusually close working relationship with Zamir since Israel shifted into CENTCOM's area of responsibility in 2021, arrived in Israel early Friday for a final consultation tour before handing over command later this month. Within hours of landing, the American four-star general made his first-ever visit to the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem's Old City. Guided by Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz and Heritage Foundation director Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, Kurilla prayed for the well-being of IDF and US troops, for the safe return of the hostages, and for peace in both nations. He placed a note between the ancient stones and wrote in the guest book: 'Thank you for a fantastic visit to the Western Wall. May you find peace.' Kurilla told his hosts that although this is his 40th trip to Israel, it was the first time he had visited Judaism's holiest site. 'My mother always told me that for supporting Israel, God would repay me,' he added, according to people present. The general also toured the new 'Gateway to Heaven' multimedia exhibit and the recently uncovered Second Temple–period excavations beneath the plaza. The Post learned that Zamir had conditioned his US departure on the establishment of a durable Gaza ceasefire. When that failed to materialize, and as public pressure mounted over the hostage crisis, he concluded that 'his place is here.' Canceling the trip conveys a dual message: acknowledging the strategic importance of face-to-face talks with Washington while demonstrating that moral and operational responsibilities outweigh even the most prestigious diplomatic itinerary. During a tour of the Strip on Friday, Zamir told commanders that the IDF would 'continue to apply relentless pressure on Hamas until every one of our people comes home.' Families of captives have been staging near-daily protests outside government buildings; 50 hostages—alive and deceased—remain in Gaza. Dialogue to continue Although Zamir's Washington meetings will now be deferred, liaison officers from the IDF Planning Directorate and the Defense Ministry's Washington Mission will maintain staff-level talks in the interim. Kurilla's successor, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, is expected to assume command later this month, and officials said a follow-up invitation for Zamir would likely be extended once conditions allow.
