No Ceasefire Agreement Between Turkey and SDF

Investing.com — A recent statement from a Turkish defense ministry official denied any ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed group, in northern Syria. This contradicts a previous announcement by the U.S. State Department, which claimed that a ceasefire around Manbij had been extended until the end of the week.

The anonymous Turkish official dismissed the notion of negotiations with what Turkey considers a terrorist organization. In response, the SDF accused Turkey of obstructing international ceasefire efforts, asserting that Turkey and its mercenaries continued attacks on the southern front of Kobani despite the ceasefire decision.

The U.S. had facilitated a temporary ceasefire between Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and the SDF following unrest that led to the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The SDF, an ally of the U.S. in combating Islamic State militants, is mainly led by the YPG, whom Turkey views as linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been fighting the PKK, which it labels a terrorist group, for four decades.

While the U.S. and Turkey’s Western allies define the PKK as a terrorist organization, they do not classify the YPG or SDF in the same manner. The Turkish official reiterated that Turkey perceives the northern Syria region as a threat to its borders and will continue combating terrorism until the PKK/YPG disarms and its foreign fighters depart from Syria.

The official also mentioned Turkey’s belief that the Syrian National Army, an allied paramilitary group, will eventually 'liberate' areas controlled by the YPG in northern Syria. This implies Turkey does not plan an immediate operation in the region.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.