Erdoğan Urges Damascus to Prioritize SDF Integration Agreement
Erdoğan stated, “We are closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement between Damascus and the SDF,” adding, “The Syrian government must not lose focus on this matter.”
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday called on the Syrian government to remain focused on implementing its landmark agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which stipulates the integration of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces into the newly restructured Syrian Armed Forces.
Speaking to reporters aboard his return flight from Budapest, Erdoğan stated, “We are closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement between Damascus and the SDF,” adding, “The Syrian government must not lose focus on this matter,” according to remarks carried by Reuters.
The agreement, signed on March 10, 2025, between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi, came shortly after the fall of the former Assad regime. It outlines the full merger of SDF military and civil institutions in northeast Syria (western Kurdistan) into the Syrian state framework, placing border crossings, oil and gas fields, and the Qamishlo airport under the authority of the new administration in Damascus.
Joint Committee on ISIS Camps
In the same discussion, Erdoğan revealed that a four-party committee comprising Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and the United States has been formed to address the fate of ISIS detainees held in Western Kurdistan. The camps, operated by the SDF for years, house thousands of former ISIS combatants and their families.
“Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and the U.S. have established a committee to discuss the future of ISIS fighters in the detention camps,” Erdoğan said. He emphasized the importance of repatriation efforts, particularly for Iraqi nationals.
“Iraq must focus on the issue of these detention camps because most of the women and children in al-Hol camp are Syrian and Iraqi. They must be returned to their countries,” he stressed.
U.S. President Donald Trump had also recently urged Syria’s new leadership to assume full responsibility for ISIS detention centers and to continue the fight against terrorism, reaffirming Washington’s demand for the prevention of any resurgence of ISIS in the region.
Pressure on Damascus to Deliver
Erdoğan’s remarks come amid increased international scrutiny over the future of northeast Syria following the power shift in Damascus. While the agreement with the SDF has been described as a significant breakthrough, Turkey’s cautious tone reflects regional concerns over the implementation process and the future balance of power in post-Assad Syria.
With more than 12,000 ISIS fighters—many of them foreign nationals from over 50 countries—still held across approximately 26 detention centers in Western Kurdistan, the fate of these camps remains a pressing issue on the regional and international agenda.
Ankara’s renewed focus on the SDF-Damascus agreement signals Turkey’s interest in ensuring the transformation of Kurdish held areas unfold in a way that aligns with its broader regional security interests, particularly in relation to border stability and counterterrorism cooperation.
