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.
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.”
“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.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment