“Step toward unity”: Erdogan backs Syria–SDF integration plan
Shafaq News – Ankara
On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the preliminary agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s national security and military institutions, calling it a “positive and unifying step” for the war-torn country.
“The swift integration of the SDF into the Syrian state will accelerate the country’s development and strengthen its national unity,” Erdogan told reporters aboard his return flight from the Gaza summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh. He praised Damascus for adopting what he described as an “inclusive vision” embracing Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity, adding that such a move serves “the interests of both Syria and Turkiye.”
The SDF—controlling much of northeast Syria’s oil-rich territory—signed a political and security framework with Syria’s transitional government in March to merge its military and civil structures. The agreement, brokered with international mediation, aims to unify command and reestablish state control after years of division, but its implementation has stalled amid lingering mistrust and logistical disputes.
Last week, Damascus announced a nationwide ceasefire with Kurdish forces following direct talks between Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi. Abdi told Agence France-Presse that both sides had reached a “preliminary deal” on integration and coordination mechanisms within Syria’s armed forces.
Turkiye, which fought a long insurgency against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), views the SDF as an extension of the PKK but has recently recalibrated its stance amid improving ties with Damascus.
