ISTANBUL

Türkiye supports the Jan. 18 agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) despite having reservations over certain aspects, just as it supported last year’s March 10 agreement, the Turkish foreign minister said Tuesday.

“What we are looking at is the existence of an agreement,” Hakan Fidan told Anadolu and state broadcaster TRT on the sidelines of a meeting with officials from Uzbekistan held in the capital Ankara.

Fidan said that while Türkiye has specific reservations, it prefers to set them aside and prioritize support for the agreement as a matter of policy.

“It is also extremely important that a decree issued by (Syrian) President (Ahmad) al-Sharaa grants the rights of our Kurdish brothers, who for many years under the Assad era had been deprived of certain rights,” he said.

Fidan said that especially for many Kurdish citizens who were not granted Syrian citizenship under the Assad regime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made initiatives even before the Syrian civil war to ensure they received citizenship. “When we had special envoys (between the countries), we repeatedly raised these issues, but despite our efforts at the time, they were not resolved,” he added.

Fidan stressed that the decree is of critical importance for both guaranteeing cultural rights and enabling citizens to feel safer and more included in public life.

“I believe that implementation of the Jan. 18 agreement, despite all its difficulties, will serve an extremely important function for the unity and integrity of Syria,” he said.

He also said Ankara views the ongoing manipulations by the YPG/SDF terror group on the release of members of the terrorist group ISIS (Daesh) with “great concern.”

Syria’s Interior Ministry said Monday that the YPG/SDF group's release of Daesh detainees from al-Shaddadi prison in the northeastern Hasakah province constitutes a “serious security breach” threatening Syrian, regional, and international security. On Tuesday, 81 of the 120 released ISIS detainees were recaptured, according to the ministry.

Fidan said Türkiye has always been at the forefront of the fight against the terrorist group ISIS and will continue to advance this effort in close cooperation with Syria’s new administration.

Fidan added that he recently spoke with US Ambassador Tom Barrack to discuss his impressions from talks in the Syrian capital Damascus.

He said intensive discussions took place on Monday in Damascus, with Barrack meeting with the SDF and the Syrian government in lengthy talks.

“We underlined that Türkiye will continue to play a constructive role. They acknowledged and appreciated these efforts,” he said, adding that Ankara will continue working on the issue.

On Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for full integration of the SDF into state institutions.

Under the deal, the SDF will withdraw its military formations east of the Euphrates River and hand over administrative and security control of the Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces to the Syrian state.

The agreement also provides for the integration of SDF military and security personnel into the Syrian Defense and Interior ministries following individual security vetting, as well as the transfer of border crossings, oil and gas fields, and civilian institutions to government control.

The announcement followed a military operation launched by the Syrian Army, through which it regained wide areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated violations by the SDF of earlier agreements signed with Damascus nearly a year ago.

Türkiye-Uzbekistan relations ‘extensive’

Fidan said Türkiye’s relations with Uzbekistan are extensive, covering historical, cultural, and geostrategic dimensions. He said the countries’ High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was established by the leaders’ initiative to institutionalize these relations and that its work is ongoing.

Fidan said the meeting also provided insights into how all sensitive issues between Türkiye and Uzbekistan can be addressed with maximum transparency and in a spirit of cooperation.

“This is the first time we are holding it. Our trade relations with Uzbekistan are excellent, as are our regional ties. Our efforts for the Turkish world are truly remarkable,” he added.

He stressed that in modern times, the institutionalization and cooperation of the Turkic world are being advanced through the “determination of our president and (Uzbekistan’s President) Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev.”

“We will continue to advance this further. Our work on this matter continues across all fields,” Fidan added.

Turkish president to evaluate all factors on Board of Peace

On Erdogan being invited to be a founding member of the Board of Peace responsible for Gaza’s reconstruction and security, Fidan said the board was established at the level of heads of state and government, with founding terms and a charter.

“Our evaluations are ongoing. Our president will likely make decisions on this very soon,” he said.

Fidan stressed that Erdogan has consistently advocated for a national mobilization to address the situation in Gaza, led the efforts, and worked with many international partners.

"The establishment of such a board, despite certain shortcomings, is an important development. We value the fact that invitations were extended to key countries with which we closely cooperate, including Turkic republics in Central Asia such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as Azerbaijan," Fidan said.

He added that Ankara will evaluate all this with their partners, both in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, and in the Turkic world and Europe, and make their decision accordingly.

Emphasizing that they consider all such efforts valuable, Fidan said the Turkish president will continue to mobilize international diplomacy on this issue.

"If it brings even a small benefit to Gaza or saves a life in Africa, he (Erdogan) strongly supports it," Fidan said, adding that while it is also important to consider norms and Türkiye’s national interests. “After evaluating all these factors, our president will make his decision.”