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.

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.