The PKK's Syrian wing, YPG, on Monday issued a warning to Damascus forces, threatening the continuing peace process in Syria as well as the agreement the government reached with the group.
The group accused military forces of the government of engaging in provocative acts. Rudaw reported that the YPG forces did not respond, but that the group said, “If they continue to target our forces, we will be forced to respond in legitimate self-defense.”
The group said that tensions had escalated, particularly in the town of Deir Hafer, located east of Aleppo, as well as in surrounding regions.
The shift in tone comes as the group continues to negotiate with Syria’s interim government over the implementation of a March 10 agreement recognizing Damascus’ sovereignty.
Under the deal, signed by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the YPG pledged to recognize Damascus’ sovereignty and transfer airports, oil fields and border crossings under its control to the central government by the end of the year.
However, the agreement stops short of outlining how YPG, will be integrated into Syria’s army, a key sticking point. Damascus insists fighters join individually, while the YPG demands entry as a bloc, an issue that threatens to stall the process.
The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which has waged a decades-long terror campaign in Türkiye and is designated a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Türkiye.
With U.S. support under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the YPG seized large swaths of northern and eastern Syria during the civil war. Turkish cross-border operations have since reduced their territorial grip, but they still hold key oil, water and agricultural resources in the northeast.
