Turkey Urges YPG to Honor Integration with Syrian Government

Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has called on the Kurdish YPG militia, which leads the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to adhere to their integration agreement with the Syrian government rather than employing delaying tactics. Fidan emphasized the importance of moving past tactical maneuvers to accomplish the integration outlined in the March accord.

In a joint press conference in Ankara with Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shibani, Fidan accused the SDF of strategizing for time and not genuinely engaging with the integration process. He warned that goodwill alone doesn't blind them to what he described as 'ruses.' This statement comes in the backdrop of recent skirmishes in Manbij and Aleppo, and the ethnic tensions between Druze and Bedouin forces in Sweida.

The ongoing complexity lies in Turkey's view of the YPG as a terrorist organization linked to the PKK, a stance starkly contrasted by the YPG's independent position. With new regional dynamics unfolding after the PKK's announcement to disarm, Turkey sees this as an opportunity for positive change which it urges the YPG to seize, despite recent conflicts in northern Syria.

(With inputs from agencies.)