A normalisation of Syrian government and Turkish relations would serve as a catalyst for further deterioration of the humanitarian and political crisis in Syria, the military council of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Tuesday.
“Any Syrian endeavours to align with the Turkish regime’s agenda against the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria, will lead to adverse consequences for all regions in Syria and impede a future resolution of the Syrian crisis,” the council warned at a high-level meeting evaluating the prevailing political and military situation on the ground.
The SDF’s top military leaders discussed Turkey’s ongoing offensives into the region and stressed that coordination with Russian forces must be enhanced in the western Euphrates to prevent further escalation.
SDF’s warning comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Monday announcement that whilst he was open to talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkish troops would not be withdrawn from Syrian territory.
The Syrian government has consistently demanded the withdrawal of Turkish forces as a precondition for rapprochement during the last two years of reconciliation efforts brokered by Russia. Meanwhile, Turkey, which controls about nine percent of Syrian land, has shown no immediate intention to withdraw troops.
During the 20th Astana Talks on Syria in June, Turkey and Syria made it clear that there is one issue they do align on: opposition to the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
