Syria’s de-facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has vowed that his administration would stop the PKK/YPG terrorist group from using Syria as a base for its operations.
Speaking to Saudi Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath television on Sunday, al-Sharaa laid out his vision for Syria's future, highlighting plans for constitutional reforms and future elections following the ouster of Bashar Assad.
Stressing that Kurds are an integral part of Syria, al-Sharaa said his administration would not allow the country to serve as a base for the terrorist PKK/YPG and reiterated that Syria must remain united.
Addressing ongoing negotiations with the terrorist PKK/YPG, he said the new government aims to resolve the crisis in northeastern Syria and ultimately integrate the group into the national forces.
The PKK has fought the Turkish state in a four-decade terror campaign and is classified as a terrorist group by Ankara, Washington and the European Union. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.
Taking advantage of the power vacuum, the terrorist group occupied much of northeastern Syria early in the civil war with the help of the United States, which calls the group its primary ally in the anti-Daesh campaign. Ankara says the YPG/PKK is on par with Daesh and should have no presence in the new Syria.
In recent years, Türkiye has deployed troops and worked with local allies such as the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) to prevent the YPG/PKK advance in the region and keep locals safe from terrorist oppression.
Since anti-regime forces took control of Damascus and toppled the Assad regime, the SNA has pushed back the PKK/YPG from several towns, including key strongholds Tal Rifaat and Manbij.
But clashes continue between the SNA and the YPG/PKK in Manbij, mostly concentrated around Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River.
The new administration in Damascus has called on the group to lay down its arms, while Türkiye echoed the same call and urged their dissolution.
Ankara said it trusts the new Syrian administration in the fight against PKK/YPG but threatened military action if the terrorist group refuses to disband, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying the terrorist group either “bury their arms” or themselves would “be buried.”
Al-Sharaa said that with this month's fall of the Assad regime, "Syrians liberated themselves" and voiced hope that this would bring stability to the region for the next 50 years.
He stressed his commitment to a smooth transition, pointing to the need for a comprehensive census before holding elections. He acknowledged that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years, with elections likely in about four years.
On protests, al-Sharaa said: "This is a legitimate right for every citizen to express their opinion, but institutions should not be harmed."
He also confirmed plans to dissolve Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group he led during the fall of Assad, with an official announcement to be made at a planned national dialogue conference.
The Baath Party regime, in power since 1963, was toppled on Dec. 8 when anti-regime groups took control of Damascus.
The takeover followed HTS's swift offensive, during which key cities fell within less than two weeks.
