The Turkish Defence Ministry has called for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)’s “unconditional compliance” with the 18 January ceasefire agreement between the Kurdish-led militant group and Damascus.
The deal calls for the SDF to disarm and integrate its fighters into Syria’s state military apparatus. It also calls for SDF-held areas in northern Syria to be brought under the control of Syria’s central government.
Speaking at a Thursday press briefing (23 January), Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Zeki Aktürk also noted that several kilometres of underground tunnels - allegedly used by the SDF - had been destroyed in northern Syria over the past week.
He went on to assert that approximately 93% of the SDF’s total tunnel network in the region had been “successfully destroyed.”
Although it is backed by the United States, Ankara views the SDF as a terrorist group due to its close ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which for decades waged a violent insurgency against the Turkish state.
On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack met with SDF leaders Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed.
At the meeting, Barrack conveyed Washington’s commitment to “advancing the integration process” in line with the 18 January agreement between the SDF and Damascus.
“All parties agreed that the essential first step is the full upholding of the current ceasefire,” Barrack, who also serves as Washington’s special envoy for Syria, said in a social-media post.
He also called for the implementation of “confidence-building measures on all sides to foster trust and lasting stability.”
In a related development, The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported on Thursday that Washington was mulling a “complete withdrawal” of its troops from Syria after a decade-long military deployment in the country’s northeast.
If carried out, a U.S. withdrawal from northeastern Syria would further isolate the SDF, depriving the Kurdish-led militant group of its most powerful regional ally.
In a Tuesday social-media post, Barrack said the U.S. military presence in northeastern Syria - and its alliance with the SDF - had been “justified primarily as a counter-ISIS partnership.”
“Today, the situation has fundamentally changed,” he added.
“Syria now has an acknowledged central government that has joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS … signalling a westward pivot and cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism,” Barrack said.
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Tensions in the Middle East are continuing to escalate as Iran and U.S.-backed Israeli forces exchange strikes for a sixth consecutive day, with Tehran reporting mounting civilian casualties and warning it is prepared for a prolonged war.
In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic is "not targeting neighbouring countries," amid reports of drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday (5 March).
Türkiye and Iran’s foreign ministers spoke by phone after reports that a ballistic missile entered Turkish airspace, with Tehran denying responsibility and insisting its recent strikes targeted only U.S. and Israeli facilities.
Britain's first chartered repatriation flight from Oman has been rescheduled following a series of technical and operational issues, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday. The government had chartered a flight from Muscat to London which was due to leave on Wednesday evening.
In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic is "not targeting neighbouring countries," amid reports of drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday (5 March).
Tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks in the Gulf region, with military operations and regional security developments continuing to unfold.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as the Iranian conflcit entered its fifth day on Wednesday.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Ankara is ready to help reinforce the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as clashes between the two neighbours continue for a sixth consecutive day.
Tensions in the Middle East are continuing to escalate as Iran and U.S.-backed Israeli forces exchange strikes for a sixth consecutive day, with Tehran reporting mounting civilian casualties and warning it is prepared for a prolonged war.
Escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S. are raising economic concerns across Central Asia. Although the region lies far from the conflict, its economies remain closely tied to global energy markets and trade routes linked to the Persian Gulf.
Türkiye and Iran’s foreign ministers spoke by phone after reports that a ballistic missile entered Turkish airspace, with Tehran denying responsibility and insisting its recent strikes targeted only U.S. and Israeli facilities.
Britain's first chartered repatriation flight from Oman has been rescheduled following a series of technical and operational issues, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday. The government had chartered a flight from Muscat to London which was due to leave on Wednesday evening.
China has called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their growing border dispute through dialogue and diplomatic channels, as clashes between their security forces entered a seventh day and left more than 160 people dead or injured, according to the United Nations.
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