On Wednesday, the leader of a U.S.-backed terrorist group came together with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack, who also acts as special envoy for Syria. The meeting in Damascus coincides with a key turning point in the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by Ankara to put an end to terrorism by the PKK. The YPG, active in northeastern Syria, is an affiliate of the PKK.
A meeting between YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin, Barrack and al-Sharaa focused on efforts to integrate the YPG into Syria's new army, something supported by Türkiye.
Şahin and al-Sharaa first struck an accord for integration in March with U.S. backing, but its implementation has been held up by differences between the two sides. Shortly after the accord, the YPG voiced demands for a decentralized system of governance, to the chagrin of Damascus. The YPG controls vast swathes of territory in the oil-rich northeast and enjoys military backing by the United States, which views it as a partner in the fight against another terrorist group, Daesh.
Al-Sharaa, whose forces led the offensive that toppled former Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad after more than 13 years of civil war, has called for the dissolution of all militant groups in Syria.
In an interview in May, Şahin emphasized the need for a "decentralized Syria where all its components live with their full rights," an outcome he accused Syria's new authorities of opposing.
The same month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that delaying the integration of the YPG-controlled northeastern region could "open the door to foreign interference, and fuel separatist tendencies."
Washington’s support for the YPG strains Turkish-U.S. ties as Ankara warns its NATO ally against aiding terror elements that threaten its national security, something Washington continues to do despite promising to remove the group from the Turkish border area. The YPG has not openly supported the terror-free Türkiye initiative and appears reluctant to join the PKK, which announced last May it would dissolve itself. The PKK will start the dissolution process by disarmament, which is set for Friday. A group of PKK members will lay down arms in a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq that day.
In an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV in June, Barrack said that he was firm that the group would abide by the March deal with Damascus. When asked whether the U.S. would ever stop supporting the YPG, Barrack insisted the YPG was an “ally” to Washington and that the support provided was a “key factor for our congress.” “It’s important to direct them to integrating into the new Syrian government. Everyone’s expectations must be reasonable,” Barrack said.
