Media reports NATO country eyeing assault on US-supported Kurds

(MENAFN) Turkey and the new Syrian leadership may launch a military operation against US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria unless the Kurdish units agree to integrate with the Syrian army, according to a report by Turkish media outlet Hurriyet. The report suggests that following the establishment of a new interim government in Syria after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, a call will be made to Kurdish militant groups, especially the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and the YPG (People’s Defense Units), to disarm and join the Syrian army.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the new de facto leader of Syria, is quoted as saying that no group will be allowed to hold weapons, even in areas where the PKK and YPG are active. If the Kurdish forces do not comply, Turkey and Syria's military forces are prepared to conduct a joint operation to expel them from the territories they control.

The Kurdish groups in question have long operated near Turkey’s border, with the YPG receiving significant US support in the fight against ISIS. Ankara views both the PKK and the YPG as terrorist organizations, accusing the US of inadvertently arming the PKK through its support for the YPG.

Despite years of tension between Syria and Turkey, the recent shift in Syria's leadership has prompted improved relations, including meetings between Turkish officials and Syrian leaders. The prospect of a joint operation against the Kurds marks a significant development in the region's geopolitics, with Russia also weighing in, indicating that Turkey may indeed launch such an offensive.

This potential alliance between Turkey and Syria could change the dynamics of the Syrian conflict and the future of Kurdish autonomy in the region.

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