ANKARA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's Defense Ministry warned on Thursday that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) risk undermining Syria's territorial integrity and threatening Turkish security by failing to honor commitments on disarmament and integration into the Syrian army.
Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk urged the SDF to "comply with the integration process into the Syrian army and abandon actions and rhetoric that harm Syria's political unity." He said Türkiye would continue to monitor the process and, if necessary, support Damascus "to contribute to both Türkiye's security and Syria's stability."
The Syrian interim authorities and the SDF announced a deal on March 10 to place civil and military institutions in Kurdish-controlled areas under state authority. On July 25, Syria's foreign affairs authority said the two sides had agreed to hold consultations in Paris to advance the plan.
However, on Aug. 9, the interim authority said it would not attend the talks, accusing the SDF of organizing a "separatist" conference that undermined integration efforts.
Türkiye has launched multiple cross-border operations into northern Syria since 2016 to push back the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF. Ankara views the YPG as the Syrian arm of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist group. ■
