5 months ago
1
Clashes erupted betwixt Syrian information forces and Kurdish fighters connected Monday (December 22, 2025) arsenic apical Turkish officials visited Damascus up of a deadline to instrumentality a woody betwixt the authorities and Kurdish-led forces successful the country's northeast.
Syria's state-run SANA news bureau reported that 2 civilians were killed and 15 were wounded by shelling, and that dozens of families fled 2 neighbourhoods of the bluish Syrian metropolis of Aleppo, which has seen erstwhile outbreaks of violence.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, oregon SDF, said 17 radical were wounded and a pistillate was killed. The conflicting casualty reports could not instantly beryllium reconciled.
Late connected Monday evening, the Syrian Defence Ministry announced an bid to halt fire.
It was not instantly wide however the caller clashes successful Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods started. Syria's Civil Defence bureau said 2 of its exigency responders were wounded aft fighters with the Kurdish-led SDF opened occurrence connected their vehicle.
A connection from the Kurdish-led forces accused Syrian authorities forces of opening occurrence connected a Kurdish checkpoint, portion authorities officials accused the SDF of attacking first.
In Damascus, the Syrian capital, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his talks with Syrian officials focused connected the integration of the SDF into the caller Syrian army, arsenic good arsenic connected Israel's subject incursions successful confederate Syria and the combat against the Islamic State group.
“Syria's stableness means Turkey's stability. This is highly important for us,” helium said, appearing alongside his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani. He called connected the SDF to “cease to beryllium an obstacle to Syria achieving stability, unity and prosperity.”
Mr Fidan's delegation, which besides included Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and quality main Ibrahim Kalin, met with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Jaafari.
The integration woody faces obstacles Under the March statement signed betwixt al-Sharaa's authorities and the SDF, the Kurdish-led unit was to merge with the caller Syrian army, but details were near vague, and implementation has stalled.
A large sticking constituent had been whether the SDF would stay arsenic a cohesive portion successful the caller service oregon whether it would beryllium dissolved and its members individually absorbed into the caller military.
Turkey has been opposed to the SDF joining arsenic a azygous unit. Ankara considers the SDF arsenic a violent organisation due to the fact that of its relation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, oregon PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency successful Turkey, though a bid process is present underway.
Kurdish officials person said that a preliminary statement has been reached to let 3 divisions affiliated with the SDF to integrate arsenic units into the caller army, but it's unclear however adjacent the sides are to finalising it. The archetypal deadline for implementation of the March woody was the extremity of the year, and determination person been fears of a subject confrontation if advancement is not made by then.
Al-Shibani, the Syrian overseas minister, accused the SDF of "systematic procrastination.”
“We person not seen an inaugural oregon a superior volition from the Syrian Democratic Forces to instrumentality this agreement," helium said, adding that Damascus had submitted a connection to the SDF for moving guardant with the subject merger.
He said a effect was received connected Sunday (December 21), without elaborating.
Turkey slams Israel's beingness successful Syria
Mr. Fidan criticised Israel's “expansionist policies” successful Syria and accused the SDF of coordinating with Israel, without giving evidence. Israel has been wary of caller authorities successful Syria since the autumn of erstwhile President Bashar Assad successful December 2024.
Although al-Sharaa, the erstwhile person of an Islamist insurgent group, has said helium does not privation a struggle with Israel, Israeli forces person moved to prehend a UN-patrolled buffer portion successful confederate Syria and person launched hundreds of airstrikes connected Syrian subject sites.
While Turkey had a analyzable narration with al-Sharaa erstwhile helium was the person of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a militant radical that controlled overmuch of northwestern Syria, Ankara has backed his authorities since helium led a complaint that overthrew Assad.
Turkey, on with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has intervened to transportation U.S. President Donald Trump to assistance decades-old sanctions connected Syria. The Turkish subject has besides provided enactment to the caller Syrian army, including grooming cadets and officers.
Asked astir the anticipation of a Turkish involution against the SDF successful Syria, Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, told reporters astatine a quality league past Friday that Turkey's subject has preparations successful spot to guarantee Turkey's security.
But, helium added: “We don't privation this to beryllium necessary.”
“The agreement's proviso indispensable beryllium implemented quickly," helium said, and "in the coming period, we should absorption our vigor connected Turks, Kurds, and Arabs surviving unneurotic successful prosperity and peace.”
