Efforts to establish a permanent truce in northern Syria collapsed on Monday as Turkey rejected key points proposed during US-led mediation, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. The failure heightens concerns over escalating violence in the region.
The SDF, a US-backed alliance predominantly led by Kurdish fighters, accused Turkey and its allied militias of undermining the process. “The US-led mediation efforts to declare a permanent truce in the Manbij (Minbîc) and Kobani (Kobanê) regions were unsuccessful due to Turkey’s approach in dealing with the mediation efforts and its evasion to accept key points,” the SDF Media Centre said in a statement.
Among the unresolved issues was the return of Suleiman Shah’s tomb to its former location and the transfer of remaining Manbij Military Council fighters, according to the SDF. The tomb, a symbolic site for Turkey, was moved in 2015 during heightened tensions with the Islamic State (ISIS). The SDF had earlier expressed readiness to assist in its relocation as a gesture to ease negotiations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had visited Ankara last week, meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in a bid to broker peace. Following these meetings, a temporary ceasefire was announced by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi on Wednesday, which expired on Monday.
Despite Blinken’s mediation, Turkey and its allied Syrian National Army (SNA) escalated military operations in recent weeks, further undermining peace efforts. The Turkish-backed SNA has been engaged in sporadic clashes with the SDF since the Syrian civil war erupted over a decade ago.
Observers warn that continued violence in Manbij and Kobani, key areas controlled by the SDF, risks destabilising northern Syria further, where millions already face humanitarian crises. The SDF stressed the need for international pressure on Turkey to halt its offensives.
As diplomatic avenues falter, tensions in northern Syria appear set to rise, with the conflict’s humanitarian and political costs mounting.
