In the midst of ongoing negotiations between Damascus and the “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)” regarding the possibility of the latter joining the ranks of the Syrian army, Turkey has reiterated its warnings to the Kurdish forces stationed in northeastern Syria.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense, in its weekly statement issued today, Thursday, called on the “SDF” to avoid any actions or statements that may harm the unity of Syrian territory.
The ministry stressed the importance of “integrating the SDF into the Syrian armed forces,” confirming its diligent follow-up on this file.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the “SDF” last week to integrate, warning them against “continuing to behave in the wrong ways,” as he put it.
Turkish authorities have long warned the “SDF,” which includes thousands of fighters, since the collapse of the former Syrian regime, and urged them to join the army and official security forces in Syria, after launching numerous attacks on these Kurdish forces over the years of the civil war.
It is worth mentioning that the “SDF” concluded an agreement with Damascus on March 10th, which stipulates “the integration of civil and military institutions in the north and east of Syria,” while guaranteeing the constitutional rights of the Kurds, the return of the displaced, and ensuring the participation of all Syrians in the transitional process, in addition to other clauses related to rejecting calls for division and fighting the remnants of the former regime.
The two parties have since begun public negotiations, but there are still some obstacles hindering the full implementation of the agreement, including the insistence of the “Autonomous Administration” – which is considered the political and administrative arm of the “SDF” in northeastern Syria – on maintaining the independence of the “Syrian Democratic Forces” within the army, which Damascus rejects.
The “SDF” also demands a decentralized state, while the Syrian government insists on the centralization of the state.
source: 961 today
