Turkey offers Syria help against Kurdish fighters if asked: ministry

Turkey offers Syria help against Kurdish fighters if asked: defense ministry — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, January 8, 2026. Photo: Turkey’s Foreign Ministry

ANKARA,— Turkey said on Thursday it is prepared to provide military assistance to Syria in ongoing fighting against Kurdish-led groups in the northwestern city of Aleppo if the Syrian Islamist government formally requests support, a senior Turkish defense ministry official said Thursday.

The official said Ankara views the latest clashes in Aleppo and reaffirmed Turkey’s backing for Syria’s efforts to reassert control over Kurdish areas outside government authority.

Turkey’s foreign minister also said Ankara has been holding extensive discussions with Syrian and United States officials in an effort to contain the violence and prevent further instability.

Violence erupted earlier this week after negotiations collapsed over a deadline to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces SDF, the de facto army of the semi-autonomous Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), into Syria’s central Islamist military structure.

The agreement was expected to be finalized by the end of last year but stalled amid disagreements over military command and governance arrangements.

Speaking in Ankara, the defense ministry official said Turkey fully supports what he described as Syria’s fight against “terrorist organizations”.

“If the Syrian government asks for assistance, Turkey will provide the necessary support,” the official said. He repeated Turkey’s position that it stands ready to help allies within Syria’s current Islamist-led administration.

Turkey has long opposed the SDF, which dominate the Kurdish region in north and northeast Syria.

Ankara considers the SDF an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and regards it as a serious security threat along its southern border.

Turkish officials have repeatedly called for the implementation of the March 10 agreement, which outlines the integration of the Kurdish administration and its armed forces into Syria’s Islamist military and security institutions.

Kurdish leaders have argued for a decentralized political system that would preserve local governance.

Syria’s new authorities have rejected this proposal, leading to delays in carrying out the agreement and increasing tensions between the two sides.

Clashes in Aleppo began Tuesday with a series of armed attacks that left nine people dead and forced thousands of residents, most of them Kurds, to flee their homes. The two sides traded accusations over who triggered the fighting.

The death toll later rose to 17, according to local reports cited by AFP.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the SDF were responsible for blocking progress toward a settlement.

“Over the last two days, we have been engaged in close consultations with Syrian authorities and U.S. officials,” Fidan said. “We hope the matter can be settled without further loss of life.”

He said the SDF’s determination to retain control over territories it holds remains a major obstacle to Syria’s peace and stability. He urged the group to abandon what he described as terrorism and separatist ambitions.

Turkey’s parliamentary speaker, Numan Kurtulmus, also commented on the situation, warning against what he described as foreign interference.

His remarks followed criticism from Israel’s top diplomat, who described Syria’s operation in Aleppo as dangerous for minorities.

Kurtulmus said Israel should not present itself as a defender of Kurdish communities in Syria and warned against efforts to inflame divisions along ethnic, religious, or sectarian lines.

The Autonomous Administration, established in 2018, governs parts of northeastern Syria under a system inspired by democratic confederalism. The administration promotes direct democracy, secularism, environmental policies, and gender equality, and it has gained attention for increasing women’s participation in politics and local decision-making bodies.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)