The Turkish authorities emphasized this Wednesday that the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), composed of Kurdish-Arab elements, "will strengthen the internal unity of Syria," and celebrated the "inclusive" steps taken by the government led by Ahmed al Shara after the fall in December 2024 of Bashar al Assad's regime.
Omar Celik, spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, highlighted that "the dissolution of the SDF marked a significant milestone in strengthening the internal unity of Syria." In a message shared on social media, he also stressed: "We have always supported the preservation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria must move forward as one and united."
Celik added that "the inclusive governance measures of the Al Shara government are allowing Syria to move forward to overcome the darkness of the past and head towards a solid future," and recalled that Erdogan "launched a great struggle to protect all Syrian brothers and sisters from terrorism and imperialist attacks during the most difficult days, when darkness fell over Syria."
The spokesperson referred to the support offered by Ankara to various rebel groups since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011 against the forces loyal to Al Assad, emphasizing that "the years and history bear witness to this noble struggle."
According to Celik, "our goals of a Turkey free of terrorism and a region free of terrorism represent a will that will thwart the plans of those who seek to fragment and plunder our region for their own interests," and he emphasized that "this will also aims at a bright future for our Kurdish brothers and sisters in the region."
He also assured that "we will continue to support every measure taken for the stability, security, and prosperity of Syria and its neighboring countries, as demanded by the 'brotherhood policy' promoted by our president," referring to Turkey's repeated calls for the SDF to follow the example of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and dissolve to favor stability in the Middle East.
The dissolution of the SDF was communicated on Tuesday by the commander of the Kurdish-Arab alliance, Mazloum Abdi, within the framework of the integration agreement sealed at the end of January with Al Shara. Abdi defended the measure appealing to the "historic moment" that the country is going through: "We close an important chapter in the history of Syria and begin to write a new one, whose motto is peace, stability, and the reconstruction of the homeland," he stated.
The integration pact, mediated by the United States, was signed on January 29 by Al Shara and Abdi after several days of fighting triggered by a new offensive by the security forces against the Kurdish units in the north and northeast of the country. The issue of the integration of the SDF had become one of the main obstacles, due to disagreements on how to carry it out, while Washington pressured in favor of Damascus and demanded that it maintain control over all the territory, rejecting any formula of autonomy for the Kurdish authorities.