DEM Party accuses Ankara of blocking Damascus–SDF agreement

Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of DEM, a pro-Kurdish Party.
Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of DEM, a pro-Kurdish Party.

By Saad al-Yaziji

DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey, accused its government of blocking negotiations between the Syrian transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

On Wednesday, a Syrian delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Syrian transitional government, Asaad al-Shibani, arrived in Ankara for talks with Turkish officials. The visit was confirmed by state media in both countries.

The co-chair of the DEM Party, Tuncer Bakırhan, stated in a televised interview that “the Turkish government is blocking any agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurds,” referring to the SDF.

Bakırhan criticized Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over statements he made on Wednesday about Syria. “Hakan Fidan is not a member of the Syrian government, but all his work consists of obstructing the achievements of the Syrian Kurds,” Bakırhan said, adding, “Fidan focuses all his work and activities on undermining Kurdish achievements, and the whole world sees that. This is a regrettable situation.”

He noted that “the Kurds are seeking a solution in Syria from Damascus, and in Turkey from Ankara,” underlining the party’s call for dialogue.

The SDF, backed by the US-led Global Coalition, is the primary military force operating in areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

Relations between Ankara and the SDF remain tense, with Turkey considering the force an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), while the SDF denies the claim and maintains its role is centered on regional security, counterterrorism, and governance in coordination with the AANES.