ISTANBUL

There has been no willingness from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to integrate into the country's central administration in Damascus, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday.

At a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Damascus, al-Shaibani said, “Unfortunately, we have not seen any willingness from the SDF,” referring to integration of the northeast. An agreement on this was signed on March 10.

He said the March 10 agreement clearly demonstrated the will to strengthen Syria’s national unity and to unite the country’s territory through dialogue, an understanding of shared concerns, and civilized methods.

However, the SDF has not shown any real and serious will or taken any concrete steps to implement the agreement; on the contrary, he said, a systematic stalling process has been taking place.

Al-Shaibani said a proposal has recently been put forward to revive the integration process, particularly regarding its military dimension, noting that the proposal was prepared by the Defense Ministry and the other side’s response was received on Sunday.

The minister said the response is currently being examined in detail, stressing that authorities are assessing how the process would serve national interests.

Al-Shaibani underlined that Syria will place more importance on the Jazira region in the country's northeast, saying: “The Syrian state will be present there.”

He said Syria’s goal remains full implementation of integration, preservation of the country’s unity, prevention of any partition and rejection of administrative arrangements that could undermine Syrian sovereignty.

Meanwhile, he said talks between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Turkish delegation focused on lifting US sanctions on Syria, boosting economic and trade cooperation, strengthening intelligence and military ties, and facilitating the return of Syrian refugees.

Discussions also addressed counterterrorism efforts, the fight against the Daesh/ISIS terror group, preventing its resurgence in Syria, and developing a shared vision for the country’s northeast, he added.

The PKK/YPG terror group operates under the name SDF in Syria.