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2mo ago

Turkey and Syria Hold High-Level Talks Following Kurdish Integration Deal

Top Turkish officials visit Damascus to discuss the integration of Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian government and regional security concerns.

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A person holds flags as people celebrate after the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, has signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday, in Damascus, Syria March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
A man rides a bicycle, after the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday, in Qamishli, Syria, March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference after a meeting of delegations from Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, in Amman, Jordan, March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni/File Photo

Overview

  • Turkey's foreign minister, defense minister, and intelligence chief met with Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to address the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) integration into the Syrian army.
  • The agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government aims to unify Syria after 14 years of civil war, transferring control of Kurdish-held areas, including oil and gas fields, to Damascus.
  • Turkey, which views the SDF as linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), expressed cautious support for the deal but emphasized its expectation for the disarmament of Kurdish forces and the expulsion of foreign fighters.
  • The United States played a key role in encouraging the agreement, which it sees as a step toward stability and a potential pathway for reducing its military presence in Syria.
  • The deal includes provisions for Kurdish autonomy and constitutional rights, but key details, such as how military integration will be implemented, remain unresolved.