ISTANBUL
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have shown no willingness to make progress in talks on integration with the government in Damascus, the foreign minister of neighboring Türkiye said Monday.
“We see that the SDF has no real intention of making significant progress in the negotiations on integration with the Damascus administration,” Hakan Fidan said at a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Damascus, Syria’s capital, after their meeting.
He added that the group’s conduct has become a serious impediment to ongoing talks, accusing it of coordinating certain activities with Israel.
“The fact that the SDF carries out some of its activities in coordination with Israel currently represents a major obstacle in the discussions being held with Damascus,” he said.
The foreign minister also said they held wide-ranging talks, primarily on bilateral relations, noting that they addressed regional security and threats to Syria’s stability.
The remarks came as Fidan, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are on a working visit to Damascus.
Repeal of US Caesar Act to bolster ‘regional stability’
Stressing that Syria’s stability also means stability in Türkiye, Fidan said this is an extremely important issue for Ankara.
He emphasized that major progress has been achieved in stability and security, and said that repealing the US Caesar Act imposing sanctions on Syria is a major advantage, as it will enable investments to flow into the country.
Fidan said truly great progress has been made in the last year and that everyone who contributed to this should be thanked.
He added that Washington, particularly US President Donald Trump, should also be thanked in this regard.
“The lifting of the Caesar Act will be a major contribution to regional stability. I believe our brothers and sisters in Syria will make the best possible use of this opportunity.”
Fidan said that over the past year, both Türkiye and the international community have seen how the Syrian administration, under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, took a governing approach that promotes stability and works to strengthen the country’s unity as much as possible.
Thanking Sharaa for hosting him, Fidan said he was the first foreign minister to visit Syria following its liberation. Noting that exactly one year ago today he visited Syria, he said he was proud to be in the country again on the first anniversary of its liberation.
Fidan underlined that Türkiye is always ready to provide all necessary assistance and cooperation, adding that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan places particular importance on this issue.
Israel should not pursue ‘expansionist policies’ in region
Fidan said Ankara expects negotiations between Syria and Israel to yield results, stressing that this is crucial for the stability of Syria and the broader region.
He emphasized that Israel should refrain from pursuing “expansionist policies” and instead seek agreements based on mutual consent and understanding with regional countries, which he said would contribute to regional stability and global security
He said he exchanged views with Syrian officials on the course of negotiations between Damascus and the terrorist group PKK/YPG, which operates under the name SDF, noting that Türkiye continues to maintain its perspective on the issue.
Fidan stressed the importance of the terrorist organization integrating into the Syrian state through dialogue and reconciliation, and ceasing to be an obstacle to Syria’s stability, unity, and prosperity.
Fidan also said Syria is a member of the international coalition combating the terrorist group Daesh (ISIS) and has made serious efforts in this regard. He added that discussions were held on how to further advance these efforts.
Bilateral relations were also on the agenda, including trade, the dignified and voluntary return of refugees, logistics, and energy cooperation.
Fidan said Türkiye welcomes steps that prevent the creation of a breeding ground for terrorism while advancing trade, stressing the need to continue contributing in this direction.
He highlighted the importance of border trade and connectivity between the two countries, noting that Türkiye and Syria could access different regions through one another.
He added that discussions were held on enabling Turkish sectors – particularly textiles – to operate in Syria in a more systematic and widespread manner, as well as on cooperation in the energy sector.
Fidan said he and Shaibani discussed major opportunities in regional, economic, and trade cooperation.
Miami 4-party meeting
Taking questions from journalists, Fidan said that during a Gaza-focused meeting last Friday in Miami with officials from the US, Egypt, and Qatar, they reviewed how the process has evolved since October’s Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit, the obstacles encountered, and whether solutions to these crises have been found.
He said the transition to phase two of the plan was discussed in detail.
Fidan noted that many elements included in UN Security Council resolutions and bodies such as the Peace Commission are also part of the peace plan, adding that these issues were addressed during the Miami meeting.
He said the US side presented preliminary project work on Gaza’s reconstruction and that Türkiye shared its views on these efforts.
Stressing discussions of how various governing bodies would be implemented, Fidan said: “Our expectation is that the second phase will begin immediately in the first weeks of the new year, possibly with a declaration by President Donald Trump.”
Fidan stressed that transferring governance in Gaza to a Palestinian-led structure is a priority.