Jailed PKK leader urges Turkey to facilitate Syrian Kurdish integration

ANKARA –

Jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan has called on the Turkish government to play a decisive role in facilitating a peace deal between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government, warning that the agreement is crucial for regional stability and Turkey’s own internal security.

In a statement released by Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Democratic Party (DEM) on Tuesday, Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), stressed the importance of Ankara acting as a constructive mediator to ensure the March 10 agreement between the SDF and Syrian authorities is fully implemented.

“The fundamental demand of the agreement is a democratic political model that allows Syria’s diverse peoples to govern together,” Ocalan said. “Its implementation will accelerate democratic integration while promoting dialogue with central authorities.”

The March accord, announced earlier this year, envisages merging the SDF’s semi-autonomous administration into the central government led by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted Bashar al-Assad last year. However, clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF have cast doubt over the plan, with both sides disputing key elements of the agreement.

The SDF, backed by the United States, has long sought a decentralised system of governance, a demand Sharaa has repeatedly rejected. Meanwhile, Turkey views the SDF, particularly its YPG backbone, as an extension of the PKK, a group it has been engaged in conflict with for decades.

Ocalan, imprisoned for 26 years in Turkey, has urged an end to hostilities and stressed that Turkey’s constructive involvement is vital for both peace in Syria and reconciliation within Turkey’s own Kurdish regions. Earlier this year, the PKK agreed, under Ocalan’s guidance, to halt its four-decade armed insurgency.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has recently cautioned the SDF not to obstruct efforts toward regional stability, while Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said last week that all measures were being taken to prevent the collapse of negotiations.

As tensions continue along the Syria-Turkey border, the success of the March agreement remains uncertain. Analysts note that Ankara’s mediation could be a critical factor in determining whether the Syrian Kurdish administration is successfully integrated into the central government or whether the deal unravels under renewed hostilities.