Turkey Calls for Integration of Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian Army to Open Border Crossings

Turkey has reiterated its demand for the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the official Syrian army, considering this a prerequisite for reopening all border crossings with Syria.

During a parliamentary session on Wednesday to present the foreign ministry's budget for the upcoming year, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Turkey is "working to open all border crossings with Syria, but not before the completion of the March 10 agreement." This statement was reported by the official TRT television.

The agreement mentioned, signed by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara on March 10, outlines the "integration of all civil and military institutions affiliated with the SDF into the official state institutions."

Fidan emphasized that "these Kurdish forces controlling much of northeastern Syria must submit to the central government’s authority" before border crossings can be reopened. He also accused the SDF of showing "no willingness to implement this agreement with Damascus."

It is important to note that the Turkish government officially views the SDF and the Kurdish People's Protection Units as "a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization." The SDF consistently denies any affiliation with this party.

Furthermore, the political context indicates that since the signing of the March agreement, both the Syrian and Kurdish parties have exchanged accusations of hindering its implementation, although both have confirmed that follow-up dialogues continue.