Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Jan. 15 that while he hopes Syria's problems can be settled peacefully, Damascus could consider using force after deadly clashes with Kurdish fighters in Aleppo. Five days of fighting left at least 23 dead and displaced more than 150,000 people from two Kurdish-run districts. Fidan urged the Kurdish-led SDF to show goodwill, warned against squandering the PKK peace process, and said Ankara expects progress in negotiations.
Turkey Warns Syria Could Resort To Force Against Kurdish-Led SDF After Deadly Aleppo Clashes
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
ISTANBUL, Jan 15 — Turkey's foreign minister said on Thursday he hopes problems in neighbouring Syria can be resolved peacefully, but warned Damascus could consider using force after recent clashes with Kurdish fighters in Aleppo.
Five days of fighting in northern Aleppo last week killed at least 23 people, the Syrian health ministry reported, and forced more than 150,000 residents to flee two Kurdish-run pockets of the city.
"I hope it doesn't come to that point ... but when problems are not solved through dialogue, unfortunately, I see from here that the use of force is also an option for the Syrian government," Hakan Fidan said at a press conference in Istanbul.
Wider Political Context
The renewed violence in Aleppo has deepened a major fault line in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad's pledge to reunify the country after 14 years of war has encountered resistance from Kurdish forces that remain wary of central control and fear marginalisation.
Fidan urged the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to demonstrate goodwill and break the cycle of tit-for-tat violence. Ankara regards the SDF as aligned with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Peace Process And Regional Dynamics
Fidan suggested that the PKK's reluctance to make concessions in Syria and Iraq — where elements of its leadership are believed to be based — may reflect calculations about how regional developments will unfold. He stressed that Turkey expects concrete progress in the talks.
He also warned that the ongoing peace process with the PKK should not be allowed to become a missed opportunity, and reiterated Ankara's hope that negotiations will continue.
Reporting: Jonathan Spicer, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever. Writing: Daren Butler. Editing: Ece Toksabay.
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