Türkiye backs military operations against Kurdish-led SDF in Northern Syria

The Turkish Defence Ministry has voiced its support for recent military operations by Syrian government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which enjoy the support of the United States.

In a Thursday press briefing, ministry officials praised the Syrian government’s recent actions against the SDF in the northwestern city of Aleppo, describing them as a “successful counterterrorism operation” aimed at safeguarding civilians and restoring public order.

Turkish defence officials also said that Ankara was ready to provide Damascus with military assistance against the SDF if requested. 

Ankara views the SDF as a terrorist group due to its close ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which for decades waged a violent insurgency against the Turkish state. 

Last week, Aleppo was rocked by several days of fierce fighting between the SDF and Syrian government forces that left at least two dozen people dead, including civilians, according to Syria's health ministry.

Tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled from Aleppo as a direct result of the fighting.

The Syrian military has threatened to resume strikes on SDF positions near Aleppo, accusing the group of preventing civilians from using a humanitarian corridor that was established east of the city. 

The Kurdish-led SDF was established in 2015 to help U.S. forces deployed in the region combat the ISIS terrorist group.

Armed and supported by Washington, the SDF now controls a sizable enclave in northeastern Syria where the central government in Damascus exerts little authority.

This has led to diplomatic friction between Türkiye and the United States, both of which are members of the Western NATO alliance.

On Friday, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham voiced concern that the Syrian government was “aligning with Turkey to use military force against the Syrian Kurds, who are our strongest ally in the enduring defeat of ISIS in Syria.”

“If there’s an escalation of attacks against the Kurds by Syrian forces supported by Turkey, this will create a whole new dynamic,” Graham wrote on the X social-media platform.

‘One Army, One State’

In March of last year, the SDF signed an agreement with Damascus under which its fighters were to be incorporated into the Syrian army. 

The deal also called for SDF-held facilities – including an airport, border crossings, and gas and oilfields – to be brought under the control of the central government. 

The agreement, however, has yet to be implemented. 

In recent months, Ankara has threatened the SDF with military action in northern Syria if the group failed to merge its forces into Syria’s state apparatus in line with the March agreement.

Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated calls for the SDF to “do its part for [Syrian] national unity.” 

• Turkish FM calls for ‘national unity’ in Syria after clashes erupt in country’s northwest
• International cooperation key to Syria’s recovery - Hakan Fidan

“It is time for national unity,” Fidan told reporters. “The SDF needs to do its part.” 
Speaking on Thursday, Turkish Defense Ministry officials voiced similar sentiments, stressing Türkiye's longstanding support for the principle of "one state, one army" in Syria.

In a televised interview this week, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the “door remains open” for the SDF to join Syria’s national security apparatus, but accused the group of failing to honor previous agreements.

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Politics News Türkiye Syria U.S. defence support Military Operation