Turkey Urges Kurds to Integrate into Syria's Army Amid Deadly Clashes in Aleppo

Deadly clashes broke out in Syria's Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish-led security personnel on Monday, leaving three civilians dead. The violence occurred as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the Kurds to integrate into the Syrian army, citing concerns over their presence on Turkey's border. Fidan met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, along with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, to discuss the implementation of a March 10 agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The deal aims to integrate the SDF, which controls vast areas of Syria's oil-rich northeast, into the Syrian state. However, the SDF and the Syrian government have traded blame over who started the clashes, with both sides accusing each other of aggression. The SDF reported that a woman was killed and six civilians wounded in a government attack on the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh, which remain under Kurdish control. The Syrian government, on the other hand, accused Kurdish forces of attacking government personnel at joint checkpoints in the two neighbourhoods. The defence ministry denied attacking SDF positions, while the SDF denied targeting Aleppo neighbourhoods. The clashes come ahead of a deadline for implementing the March agreement, which has been delayed due to differences between the two sides. Turkey, which has close ties with Syria, views the presence of Kurdish forces on its border as a security threat. Fidan emphasized that the SDF's integration into the Syrian administration is crucial for achieving stability in the region. The talks also addressed the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State jihadist group. The Kurdish-led forces have been a key ally in the fight against IS, but Turkey's concern over their presence on its border remains a major issue.