Syria may seek Türkiye’s support in the fight against Daesh and other terrorists still active on its soil, according to its new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
“Daesh rejects all proposed solutions. We have sent an open letter to countries and groups that support the YPG/PKK. We expect assistance from all nations in combating terrorism. In this regard, we may also seek support from Türkiye,” al-Sharaa told Turkish broadcaster A Haber in an interview released Thursday evening.
Al-Sharaa’s remarks came amid uncertainty looming over Daesh, as well as the U.S.-backed YPG, the Syria wing of the PKK terrorist group.
Defense Ministry sources said on Thursday that Türkiye was in contact with the new Syrian administration after the fall of the Baathist regime to boost the defense and security capacity of the Syrian army.
The sources also said the Turkish military presence there would continue and may even relocate within Syria based on “needs.”
As the civil war escalated in Syria, the terrorist groups Daesh and PKK/YPG emerged as major threats, especially in the country’s north. Fearing spillover of the violence and in support of Syrian opposition forces and civilians displaced by terrorists, Türkiye launched a string of cross-border offensives into the country between 2016 and 2019.
Al-Sharaa similarly said the risk of Syria’s division will persist if the YPG/PKK does not lay down its arms.
“However, we want to explore all diplomatic avenues and allow time for a peaceful solution. Syria’s territorial integrity is a red line for us,” al-Sharaa said.
He said his administration has expressed openness to talks with the PKK/YPG to prevent bloodshed.
“We aim to resolve the issues between Arab and Kurdish tribes east of the Euphrates in cooperation with Ankara,” he said. “Türkiye is closely following this issue and is supporting us. Syria is ready for all forms of cooperation to ensure Türkiye’s border security.”
Clashes in the north
The PKK/YPG holds several towns around the Euphrates River in northern Syria, where it seeks to carve out a self-styled Kurdish autonomous region. But both Arab tribes and the Syrian National Army (SNA) of the opposition forces have captured Tal Rifaat and Manbij from the terrorists since the anti-regime offensive toppled Bashar Assad earlier in December.
Clashes continue between the SNA and PKK/YPG terrorists, mainly concentrated around Tishrin Dam in southeastern Manbij, where tens of thousands of civilians live.
The vicinity of the dam was also a scene of the deployment of civilians and YPG/PKK terrorists disguised as civilians in recent weeks. Türkiye has accused the group of using civilians as human shields.
Assad’s ouster raised the prospect of Türkiye intervening directly in the country against the PKK/YPG, which was behind a string of terror attacks targeting Turkish cities and civilians in recent years.
In the past two months, Türkiye has repeatedly said it was time for the PKK/YPG to disband.
In an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Asharq News channel earlier this month, YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin, code-named “Mazloum Kobani,” said their “basic demand” is for decentralized administration.
The demand poses a potential challenge to Syria’s new leadership, which wants to bring all of the country back under the government’s authority.
Şahin indicated that they had no intention of dissolving, saying it was open to linking with the Defense Ministry and operating according to its rules but as “a military bloc.”
“It’s impossible for us to accept foreign armed groups,” al-Sharaa told A Haber. “These groups threaten Türkiye, a country that has welcomed and helped Syrians, and we cannot allow them (to exist).”
The de-facto leader also said the new Syrian administration wants to live together with its Kurdish population “as equal citizens.”
“We want to prevent bloodshed. We want to express that we will treat everyone equally,” he insisted. “All weapons must be in the hands of the state. If there is no state control, things will spiral out of control.”
YPG-U.S. ties
How much autonomy the YPG would retain likely hinges on whether U.S. President Donald Trump continues Washington’s longtime support of the YPG, according to diplomats and officials on all sides.
Trump has not spoken publicly about his intentions, including his plans for some 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria.
Any deal also depends on whether Türkiye holds off on a cross-border operation against the YPG. Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the PKK, which killed thousands of people in the country since the 1980s.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this month that Syria’s new authorities “should be given an opportunity to … end the occupation and terror the YPG created.” Still, he did not say how long Ankara would wait for it to disarm before launching an incursion.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source said disarming armed groups and the departure of “foreign terrorist fighters” were essential for Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, so the sooner this happens, the better.
U.S. and Turkish officials have been holding “very intensive” discussions since the collapse of the Assad regime, a senior U.S. diplomat told Reuters.
The two countries share a “common view of where things should end up,” including a belief that all foreign fighters should exit Syrian territory, the diplomat said, noting Turkish negotiators “have a very high sense of urgency” to settle things.
However, the diplomat, who, like some other sources, requested anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said the talks were “hugely complex” and would take time.
Parallel talks are taking place between the United States and both the YPG and the new rulers of Syria, Türkiye and Damascus, and the YPG and Damascus, officials from all sides say.
‘Inclusive transition’
In a phone call with Fidan that took place on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for an inclusive transition in Syria after the fall of Assad, the State Department said Thursday.
Rubio’s comments signal a consistency with his predecessor, Antony Blinken, who, on a trip to the region last month, used similar language as he called on Syria’s new leaders to protect minority rights and not pose a threat to neighboring countries.
Rubio “highlighted the need for an inclusive transition in Syria,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio also called for “ensuring that the new government prevents Syria from becoming a source for international terrorism and denying foreign malign actors the opportunity to exploit Syria’s transition for their own objectives,” she said.