The governor of Syria's Aleppo province, Azzam Al-Gharib, stated in a declaration issued yesterday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF/YPG) have been completely withdrawn from Aleppo city and evacuated by buses to the country's northeastern regions. After several days of fighting, the YPG, the armed wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces, agreed to withdraw from the area.
According to the governor, with this, the Syrian government has restored full control over Aleppo for the first time since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Nevertheless, there are still areas in the east of the country under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and they must submit to the central authority.
Turkey, which considers the YPG militants in Syria as the local wing of the PKK, has also supported official Damascus's policy in the region from the first days, calling for the restoration of the country's territorial integrity. Considering that the Syrian Democratic Forces still hold vast territories in the east of the country and do not submit to the central authority, Turkey's role in these processes is of interest.
Security expert from Turkey, Yücel Karauz, stated in a declaration to Modern.az that Turkey supports the establishment of its activities in the emerging new political reality in Syria based on the principle of "one state, one nation, one army":
"Despite 13–14 months having passed, some groups in Syria – both on the political and military fronts – do not want the country to be fully united. These forces are trying to achieve new compromises, attempting to strengthen their positions by relying on the support of regional and extra-regional states.
Against this backdrop, Turkey's perspective remains unchanged. The clearing of Aleppo from the Syrian Democratic Forces is an operation carried out by Syria's national forces within its own army. The Republic of Turkey may have supported this process in various forms, but it did not directly participate in the operations. This step is considered an important stage on the path to a unified Syria, but it is not sufficient on its own.
Currently, there are elements under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces that have not laid down their arms and have not integrated into the national army. These forces use the current situation as an argument to justify their demands for autonomy. The current Syrian government, however, acts on the principle of "one nation, one state" and implements this policy in coordination with the US and Turkey.
It is expected that these operations will continue. Until the Syrian Democratic Forces are fully integrated, clashes of increasing intensity between them and national army forces in the areas under their control cannot be ruled out".
Y. Karauz emphasized that if the Syrian Democratic Forces resist the central authority, Turkey's military intervention could become inevitable:
"Turkey is not a state that changes its principles: what it said yesterday, it stands by today, and it will continue this line tomorrow. At the current stage, there is no need for direct military intervention by Turkey. The Syrian National Army has the potential to fight separatist groups on its own. However, if this potential proves insufficient against either ISIS or the Syrian Democratic Forces, Turkey's military intervention could become inevitable. Nevertheless, Turkey is not the sole decision-maker in this matter. Consequently, the processes must be evaluated within the framework of coordination with the US, and appropriate measures should be implemented jointly".
