Turkey Hails Syrian Interim Government’s Swift Campaign That Dismantled Kurdish-Led SDF

ANKARA — Turkish officials and analysts have broadly welcomed a rapid campaign by Syria’s interim government that dislodged much of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria and led to an agreement for the group to dissolve and have fighters integrated individually into the Syrian armed forces.

FILE - A member of Syrian security forces stands next to a destroyed vehicle in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

What Happened

In roughly two weeks, an offensive ordered by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa captured most SDF-held areas in northern Syria. After negotiations over formal integration into the new Syrian army stalled, the SDF accepted a deal under which tens of thousands of its fighters would enter the Syrian military as individual recruits rather than as a distinct bloc.

FILE - Female soldiers of the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) march during a military parade in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Background And Stakes

The SDF was formed about a decade ago with U.S. support as a coalition of militias to fight the Islamic State group; its backbone was a Syrian Kurdish force closely affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey has long viewed PKK-affiliated armed groups as a direct security threat and has pressed for reduced Kurdish autonomy along its southern border.

FILE - The bodies of retreating Syrian Democratic Forces fighters lie on the side of the road between government-controlled Raqqa and SDF-controlled Hassakeh, in northeastern Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Turkey’s Role

Turkish officials say Ankara played an advisory role during the operations, sharing intelligence, maintaining contact with the Syrian authorities to help protect civilians and facilitate safe evacuations, and coordinating with the United States and other regional partners. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly congratulated the Syrian government and reiterated Ankara’s opposition to any separatist structures along its border.

FILE - People celebrate as Syrian government forces enter the town of Deir Hafer, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, following the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. (AP Photo/Omar Albam, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

U.S., Israel And Regional Dynamics

Washington declined to intervene militarily on behalf of the SDF and shifted its engagement toward the nascent Syrian administration, focusing publicly on seeking a cease-fire. Analysts say changes in U.S. policy were driven by a desire to treat the new Syrian government as the primary interlocutor in the country. Israel also refrained from intervening; observers point to recent diplomatic contacts between Syrian and Israeli officials as helping ease Israeli concerns about its southern border.

“The defeat of the PKK-linked SDF is a very favorable outcome for Turkey,” said Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based EDAM research center. He cautioned, however, that the gains could be temporary if the interim government cannot stabilize the northeast.

Implications For The PKK And Turkish Politics

Turkish officials hope the integration of former SDF fighters into Syrian state structures will bolster Ankara’s fragile peace initiative with the PKK. In May, the PKK announced it would disarm and disband following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan; the group later held a symbolic disarmament event and moved some fighters to Iraq. The SDF, however, resisted similar pressure, arguing Ocalan’s call applied only to the PKK.

Pro-Kurdish politicians in Turkey warned that any violence against Kurds in Syria could undermine reconciliation efforts at home. “At a time when we are talking about internal peace and calm, can there really be peace if Kurds are being massacred in Syria and the feelings of Kurds in Turkey are ignored?” said Tulay Hatimogullari, co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party.

Outlook

While Ankara and its allies frame the developments as a diplomatic and security success, analysts stress that the long-term impact depends on whether the interim government can deliver stability, protect minority communities, and integrate former fighters without sparking renewed local tensions. Observers warn that failure to address political and humanitarian concerns in the northeast could render recent gains short-lived.