Turkey warns Syrian Kurds: Don't become Israeli pawns

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accuses SDF of attempting to 'fool' Turkey and stall for time in order to secure Israeli support to maintain its control over eastern Syria

Female fighters stand guard during a joint security operation for Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, also known as Asayesh, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on 5 April 2025 (Delil Souleiman/AFP)

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday issued yet another ultimatum to Syrian Kurdish armed groups, urging them to abandon hopes of cooperating with Israel against Damascus and to honour their agreement to integrate with the central government.

In an unusually sharp tone, Fidan said Ankara was not naive and was fully aware of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) activities.

“They say that the agreement we made with Syria does not bind us much in terms of the clauses written in it,” he said.

“Well then, what does concern you? Is it making the esteemed Kurdish brothers of the region into Israel’s pawns that concerns you?”

Fidan’s remarks came as Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shaibani visited Ankara, accompanied by the Syrian defence minister and intelligence chief, to discuss security challenges in northern Syria as well as the situation in Sweida.

On Tuesday, Shaibani had attended a meeting in Jordan with US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, aiming to find a path forward that would accommodate both Syrian and Israeli concerns regarding the safety of the Druze community in Suwayda.

At the joint press conference in Ankara, Shaibani also criticised a recent conference held by the SDF in Hasakah, where representatives of various ethnic and religious minority groups called for autonomy.

He said they did not represent the Syrian people and warned that Damascus remained resolute in preserving Syria’s territorial integrity. Damascus last week cancelled a meeting with SDF representatives in Paris in protest for the conference, partially also because of Turkey's objections to the French mediation.

Negotiations and centralisation

In March, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a memorandum with SDF commander Mazlum Abdi, agreeing in principle to integrate with Damascus. The deal included incorporating SDF forces into the national army, transferring control of borders, government institutions, prisons, and oil and gas fields to the central authorities.

This step coincided with Turkey’s own peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which announced its dissolution in May following appeals from its imprisoned founder Abdullah Ocalan. The SDF later said the process doesn't concern them either.

Since then, the SDF, widely seen as a PKK offshoot, has shifted its stance and begun demanding autonomy and a decentralised system of governance, particularly after Israeli air strikes on Damascus and southern Syria. In multiple interviews, Abdi has said he wants the SDF to remain under a separate command structure.

'In an environment where Turkey’s security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here'

- Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister

Fidan warned that Ankara’s patience was wearing thin as the SDF failed to take concrete steps to address Turkish security concerns.

“At present, we see that members of the SDF coming from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe have not left Syria,” he said, referring to the foreign fighters the SDF had pledged to expel.

“On the contrary, we see that they are waiting for possible problems to maximise their benefit from all processes - both in Damascus and in Ankara. They should not think we do not see this; we do see it.”

Fidan further alleged that the SDF was seeking Israeli assistance to maintain control over Arab-majority areas by force and to preserve its ties to the PKK.

“But in an environment where Turkey’s security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here,” he said.

While calling on the SDF to pursue peace with both Turkey and Damascus, Fidan also suggested that no one should be surprised by potential developments, hinting that Ankara was prepared to take other measures, possibly including military action.

Deadlines

Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Turkey and the US, in a meeting with SDF officials, had given Abdi’s group a 30-day deadline to accelerate the process of joining Damascus. That deadline is set to expire within days.

According to a regional source speaking to MEE, US officials warned the SDF that the international coalition might not be able to shield them if Damascus decided to launch a military offensive in the event the 10 March agreement was not upheld.

Security sources told MEE that while Turkey would not directly intervene against the SDF, the Turkish Armed Forces could provide indirect support for a limited operation carried out by the Syrian army. They said preparations for such an operation had already been completed.

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The sources also revealed that US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, in meetings with Turkish officials in Ankara, requested more time for diplomatic efforts and negotiations with the SDF.

Turkish officials reportedly responded, in diplomatic terms, that “the decision and authority on the matter rest with the Damascus government, and that in line with the military cooperation between Damascus and Turkey and Turkey’s national security sensitivities, any request for support from Damascus would be met positively”.

Meanwhile, intermittent clashes have broken out between the Syrian army and the SDF in Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, and around the Tishrin Dam last week, with both sides trading blame for the escalation.

Syrian security sources told MEE that the Syrian delegation’s visit to Ankara would focus on this context, with key agenda items including shared threats, border security, follow-up on agreements, and potential economic investments.

Last month, Syria formally requested that Turkey extend security assistance. The sources added that discussions on the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces in Syria would also be part of the talks.