ANKARA, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish forces in northern Syria must lay down weapons and disband now to avoid further bloodshed, after Damascus struck a ceasefire with the group and gave them four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
Syria’s Turkey-backed government forces seized swathes of territory from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria this week, as part of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to bring all the country under central government authority.
The United States, the SDF’s main ally, said its partnership with the group had changed in nature since the emergence of the new government in Damascus, and urged Kurdish fighters to integrate into Syria’s state apparatus.
Turkey views the SDF as a terrorist organisation linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group. It has been engaged in a peace process with the PKK for months and says the group – and its extensions – must disband and disarm.
Speaking to members of his AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said Turkey welcomed Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement between the SDF and Damascus, adding he hoped the group’s “full integration” would herald a new era in Syria.
“Our hope is for this issue to be solved permanently without any more bloodshed, for the terrorist organisation, which is now stuck in some areas in northern Syria, to lay down its weapons, disband, and for there to be no more conflict,” he said.
Laying down weapons is the only way out, he added, and any provocation would be a “suicide attempt.”
Earlier, Erdogan’s office said he discussed developments in Syria with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call. He said on Wednesday that their call was “fruitful” and that they spoke about the joint battle against Islamic State in Syria.
He also urged Kurds in Turkey not to fall for “provocations” by militants and said his government would continue to carry out the peace process with the PKK.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Alexandra Hudson)
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