In a calculated and timely statement following the announcement of the PKK’s dissolution, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Turkey’s demand for the dismantling of the YPG’s military structures in Syria. Speaking after the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting in Antalya, Fidan used the global diplomatic stage to reassert Ankara’s long-standing position on the Kurdish militia, positioning Turkey to shape the post-conflict dynamics in northern Syria and the broader region.
“No Steps Taken Yet” – Turkey Grows Impatient with YPG
Fidan emphasized that the YPG, the Kurdish militia that forms the backbone of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), must disband its military apparatus and hand over its weapons and control to the Syrian Army. “We observe that YPG has not taken any steps in this direction so far. We expect these steps to be implemented,” he said.
Highlighting Turkey’s support for an earlier 8-point protocol signed between the SDF and Damascus, Fidan reaffirmed that all Syrians—including Kurds—should enjoy equal citizenship and full rights under the Syrian constitution. However, he made it clear that autonomous armed structures, particularly those connected to groups Turkey deems terrorist organizations, would not be acceptable.
A Statement of Opportunity: Timing with PKK’s Dissolution
The statement comes just days after the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, announced its dissolution. This development gave Turkish officials a timely opening to argue that the YPG, which Ankara views as the PKK’s Syrian extension, should also cease to exist in its current armed form.
By seizing on the PKK’s move, Fidan aimed to reinforce Turkey’s narrative that the YPG is not an independent actor but rather a derivative force of the now-disbanded PKK. The logic is straightforward: if the “parent” organization is gone, the “subsidiary” must follow. This is not merely rhetorical—it’s a calculated attempt to shape Western, particularly U.S., perceptions and policies regarding continued military support for the YPG.
Message to NATO and the West: Stop Supporting YPG
Making the statement at a NATO platform added to its weight. Turkey has long criticized the United States and other NATO allies for their cooperation with the YPG in the fight against ISIS, despite Ankara’s designation of the group as a terrorist organization. Fidan’s remarks were a reminder to NATO partners that the geopolitical landscape has shifted with the PKK’s declared dissolution and that continued support for the YPG could be viewed as out of step with these new realities.
This serves a dual purpose: reinforcing Turkey’s security concerns and urging NATO to reevaluate its support structure in Syria. In doing so, Ankara is attempting to reframe the YPG not as a strategic ally in counterterrorism, but as an outdated and destabilizing force in a post-conflict Syria.
Reinforcing Syrian Unity and Opposing Autonomy
Fidan also voiced firm opposition to the creation of autonomous Kurdish zones in northern Syria. “The YPG’s military structures must be dismantled. They should hand everything over to the Syrian army,” he said. This reflects Ankara’s consistent position that any federal or autonomous Kurdish region would pose a long-term threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity and embolden separatist sentiments.
Turkey, which has supported Syrian opposition groups and conducted multiple military operations in northern Syria, favors a unitary Syrian state model under the control of Damascus—provided it does not pose a direct threat to Turkish interests.
U.S. Sanctions and the Bigger Picture in Syria
On the broader question of Syria’s future, Fidan also addressed recent high-level discussions about lifting U.S. sanctions on the Assad regime. He revealed that President Erdoğan had directly pushed for this in conversations with former President Donald Trump. “Trump himself stated that President Erdoğan played a decisive role in his decision,” Fidan noted, emphasizing that sanctions relief is now being discussed “at the highest level.”
The linkage between sanctions, Kurdish autonomy, and the future of the Assad regime shows that Ankara sees these issues as interconnected. Turkey is positioning itself as a key regional actor capable of steering post-war Syrian reconstruction, resettlement, and reintegration processes—on its own terms.
Fidan’s remarks signal the beginning of a new phase in Turkey’s Syria policy—one shaped by the perceived end of the PKK and a renewed effort to dismantle what it sees as its offshoots in Syria. The message is clear: if the West wants to move forward with stabilization and reconstruction in Syria, it must consider Turkey’s core security concerns.
By tying the PKK’s dissolution to demands for the YPG’s dismantling, Ankara is reshaping the narrative and applying pressure not just on Kurdish actors, but also on its NATO allies. The stakes are high, and with the geopolitical landscape shifting, Turkey is moving quickly to ensure it plays a decisive role in determining what comes next in northern Syria.
