By İsmet Özçelik
It is clear that there is a state of turmoil in Syria.
The massacres in Latakia, the PKK/PYD-Damascus government agreement, the emergence of armed groups, and the resulting power vacuum all point to this turmoil.
Professor Dr. Mehmet Yuva assessed the PKK/PYD-Damascus agreement document as follows:
“The Arabic of the text is very poor. The paper it’s written on does not resemble an official document. There is neither a flag nor a seal. It looks hastily written. The agreed-upon clauses are vague and deferred to an unspecified time.”
President Erdoğan commented, “We view every effort aimed at cleansing Syria of terrorism as a step in the right direction”. However, he did not address the issue during his party’s group meeting following the agreement. Similarly, Foreign Minister Fidan remained silent, merely stating that “a comprehensive statement will be made in the coming days”.
The Turkish government is acting cautiously. Clearly, there are some concerns.
Developments on the ground are also critical. The current situation is not sustainable. The PKK/PYD is merely buying time. The outcome of the call for disarmament made to the PKK/PYD remains uncertain, and the future of the oil fields too. It is also seen that there are forces trying to prevent the PKK/PYD from disarming.
As for the Syrian National Army, they had previously announced their intention to join the Syrian Army. According to reports, its senior commanders of gathered near the Turkish border on the evening of March 11. The meeting is considered highly significant. It is unclear whether Turkish officials attended the meeting. The consequences of this meeting are expected to become more evident in the coming days.
Moreover, our sources shared that shortly after the PKK/PYD-Damascus agreement, a group of HTS members attempted to visit their families in Hasakah. However, the PKK/PYD did not allow them into the city. Tensions arose between the groups, and the families of the HTS members were detained.
In Türkiye, the pro-PKK People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) welcomed the agreement. They described it as “the greatest achievement for the Kurds.” Statements from DEM Party officials clearly revealed their true intentions: They claimed that the agreement eliminates Türkiye’s security concerns, undermining Ankara’s argument that the YPG/PYD poses a threat. Therefore, they claim, Türkiye’s counterpart in addressing these security concerns will be the Syrian government. As a result, they argue, Türkiye will no longer have a legitimate reason to maintain its military presence in Syria where it had previously carried out operations. Some have gone further and expressed it more bluntly: “The agreement is done, now Türkiye should withdraw its troops from Syria.”
While all of this is unfolding within the country’s internal dynamics, another major issue is the Israeli occupation. Israeli Defense Minister Katz referred to an “indefinite occupation” in Syria. He stated, “Israeli policy is to remain there, on the summit of Mount Hermon and in the dominant positions, indefinitely”. He also noted that they have the support of the US in this matter.
In short, Syria is gripped by turmoil. To prevent further bloodshed and to end the Israeli occupation, a strong state authority is essential. For that, without doubt, support of regional countries is needed. Otherwise, the situation will continue to deteriorate.