With a deadline approaching for the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG to implement a deal with Damascus, more attacks have been reported in Türkiye’s southern neighbor, Syria. The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to the unity of Syria and warned against attacks harming that country’s territorial integrity and stability.
The ministry said in a statement that attacks hampered the implementation of the agreement signed by the YPG, the Syrian wing of the terrorist group PKK, and the new administration in Damascus.
“The struggle in Syria is between those desiring a stable, prosperous Syria that ensures its unity and integrity and those wanting an unstable, fragmented and weak Syria. Türkiye has always been clear on issues regarding regional peace and stability. On this matter, Türkiye is determined to continue its close cooperation with the Syrian government and support the 'one state, one army' principle," the ministry said.
Four people were killed and nine others injured on Monday in a YPG attack in northern Aleppo, according to local authorities. The Syrian Defense Ministry said several YPG members were neutralized after the attack.
The YPG and Damascus signed an agreement on March 10 for the integration of the YPG’s Syrian members into security forces. The YPG has been reluctant to adhere to the deal, which is expected to be implemented by the end of 2025 and has voiced demands for decentralization. Damascus has accused the group of not exerting efforts for the implementation of the deal. The YPG dominates parts of northeastern Syria where it declared a self-styled autonomous region at the height of the Syrian civil war.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, in Damascus on Monday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the integration should be carried out as soon as possible, saying that the delay was an obstacle to Syria's unity. Fidan said last Thursday that it does not want to resort to military means but warned that patience with the YPG is "running out." YPG officials have downplayed the deadline and said they are committed to talks toward a just integration.
The ministry also made a statement regarding a spate of drone incidents that gripped Türkiye in the past few weeks. Turkish fighter jets shot down an unidentified drone approaching Turkish airspace through Black Sea and the wreckage of two other drones, reportedly belonging to Russia and Ukraine, were discovered in Balıkesir in western Türkiye and Kocaeli in the northwest.
The ministry said examination of drones was underway and assured that Turkish airspace was well-protected thanks to radars, electro-optic sensors, elements of land, air and naval forces, with a “multi-layered security architecture.” It denied any weakness of Türkiye’s defenses against drone risks while warning that such drones, especially those flying at low altitudes, were also a threat to Europe. The ministry underlined that incidents were not the result of deficiencies in air defenses but rather, “a reflection of increasing use of drones due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.”
The ministry also touched upon budding cooperation between Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration that took a new turn when leaders met in Israel earlier this week. The two countries and the Greek Cypriot administration signed deals for further military cooperation, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implied that the alliance was about countering Türkiye’s influence in the region.
The ministry said that the alliance did not constitute “a military threat” to Türkiye, downplaying the military power of the trio. It added that Türkiye would continue its commitment to preserving stability and dialogue in the region.
“Israel’s discourse that may heighten tensions in the region does not mean anything in terms of the reality on the ground and in the context of international laws. Our country favors constructive dialogue in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, but it should be known that steps contrary to the spirit of the NATO alliance cannot change the situation on the ground,” the ministry said.
