The new administration in Damascus slammed a demand by an umbrella body led by the terrorist group YPG for a decentralized system in the post-Assad country.
The administration on Sunday reiterated its firm rejection of any attempt by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that would threaten its unity and territorial integrity. "Recent moves and statements by the SDF leadership, calling for federalism and establishing a separate reality on the ground, clearly contradict the content of the agreement and threaten the country’s unity and territorial integrity,” a presidential statement said.
On March 10, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed an agreement with Ferhat Abdi Şahin, ringleader of the U.S.-backed terrorist group leading the SDF, integrating it into the institutions of the Syrian Arab Republic as a move to reinforce national unity. The statement described the recent agreement with the SDF leadership as a "positive step toward calm and openness to a comprehensive national solution” and called for its full implementation. The Presidency renewed its clear rejection of "any attempts to impose a divisive reality or establish separate entities under the guise of federalism or self-administration without comprehensive national consensus.” "The unity of Syria, both its territory and its people, is a red line, and any transgression thereof constitutes a departure from the national unity and an attack on Syria’s unified identity,” the Presidency said.
The SDF's components gathered in Qamishli, a town controlled by the YPG in northeastern Syria, on Saturday, announcing their "common political vision" for Kurds in the country. A communique at the end of the conference, which was attended by U.S. officials, demanded that a future Syrian constitution should enshrine respect for Kurdish national rights in Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. "A joint Kurdish political vision has been formulated that expresses a collective will and its project for a just solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria as a decentralized democratic state," the statement said.
The Syrian Presidency's statement also stated that recent statements by SDF leaders advocating a federal solution clearly went against that deal.
During the 14-year civil war, YPG took control of roughly a quarter of Syrian territory, where most of the country's oil wealth is found, along with fertile arable land that produces a major proportion of the country's wheat.
The decentralization demanded by YPG also worries Syria's neighbor, Türkiye, which suffered from a campaign of violence by the PKK. The YPG is an offshoot of the terrorist group whose members spread to Türkiye, Iraq, Syria and Iran over decades. Nowadays, their leadership is largely confined to hideouts in Northern Iraq while the YPG still remains a dangerous threat, especially for Turkish border towns.
Türkiye rejects any initiatives targeting Syria's territorial integrity and emphasizes the need for international pressure on Israel to address the Gaza crisis, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday, as he addressed a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha. Fidan said Türkiye does not accept any initiatives that undermine Syria's sovereignty, adding that any effort allowing the holding of weapons outside the central authority will not be accepted.
He stated that Türkiye desires a Syria with a constitution and administration that provides equal opportunities to all groups in the country and that positive steps have been taken in this regard.
"We are waiting for the implementation of the agreement signed between the YPG and the Syrian administration in recent months. Our sensitivity on this issue is clear," he said, urging the terrorist organization PKK to respond positively to the call, lay down its weapons, and stop obstructing the return to normalcy in the region. Underlining that the region has been struggling with war, confusion, occupation, blood and tears for years, he stressed that a prosperous, safe, respectful and free system must be built in modern times. Türkiye last year launched the "terror-free Türkiye" initiative to end years of PKK terrorism. Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed ringleader of the terrorist group, welcomed the initiative and, in a historic call in February, urged the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve.
