UN Special Envoy to Syria emphasizes urgent need for political solution to escalating tensions in northeastern Syria

(MENAFN) On Monday, UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen emphasized the urgent need for a political solution to the escalating tensions in northeastern Syria, which involve Kurdish-led authorities and Turkish-backed groups. He warned that failing to resolve these tensions could lead to "serious consequences" for Syria as a whole. Pedersen noted that addressing the conflict would require "serious concessions" and should be part of a broader transitional framework that includes all parties involved. The fighting between Syrian opposition factions, supported by Ankara, and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast has intensified since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in early December.

On December 9, the Syrian opposition seized control of the city of Manbij from the SDF and may be preparing to target the city of Kobani (Ain Arab) near the Turkish border. Pedersen warned that if the situation in the northeast is not properly handled, it could lead to more displacement and further destabilization in Syria. The SDF, led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), proposed withdrawing its forces from the region in exchange for a full ceasefire. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a press conference in Damascus on Sunday, stated that the YPG "must be completely dismantled."

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