Syrian government ‘has no conflict’ with Kurdish community, but with SDF: Interior Ministry

By Lina Altawell

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Syrian government “has no conflict” with Syria’s Kurdish community, but with the SDF group, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

“We have no problem with the Kurdish component, nor with any other component,” Noureddine al-Baba said in an interview aired on the Saudi television Al-Hadath.

“Our problem is a political one with what is called the Syrian Democratic Forces,” he added.

The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.

Baba said Damascus sent “positive messages” to the Kurdish community in northeastern Syria since the start of its military campaign, adding that the Kurds had been subjected to “misleading propaganda” by the SDF.

He said the government also maintained communication channels with Arab tribes in the region and pursued peaceful solutions to avoid further “bloodshed,” he added.

The spokesman pointed to the March 10 agreement with the SDF as a turning point, saying it was widely welcomed by Syrians and led to public celebrations in parts of northeastern Syria.

Those celebrations, he said, were later met with gunfire, arbitrary arrests and intimidation by SDF forces, including the detention of people who raised the Syrian flag, Baba said.

The SDF had previously failed to implement the March 10, 2025, agreement with Damascus for the group’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

Baba said the Syrian government continued negotiations under international and regional guarantees, including efforts led by the US and Saudi Arabia, accusing the SDF of failing to respond to the initiative and escalating its attacks.

He cited sniper fire on civilians in Aleppo and mortar shelling of residential and commercial areas by the SDF as reasons for launching “limited” military operations against the group in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.

“These were operations of necessity to protect civilians,” he said, adding that they were carried out quickly and with minimal damage, citing cooperation from local residents.

Baba said Damascus distinguishes between the SDF leadership and rank-and-file members, noting that many joined under pressure or economic hardship.

The spokesman said that the Syrian government “welcomes” defectors who “were not involved in bloodshed.”

“Anyone whose hands are not stained with blood is welcome,” Baba said. “They chose the option of the homeland and the Syrian state.”

He added that the government plans to announce reconciliation measures for former SDF members, saying their experience could be used by state institutions.

Baba reiterated that the Interior Ministry’s role following military advances focused on securing public and private property, protecting vital facilities and restoring security to allow civilians to return home.

The interview came after the Syrian Presidency said on Tuesday that a “mutual understanding” has been reached with the SDF regarding the future of the Hasakah province.

The Defense Ministry also announced a four-day ceasefire with the SDF on Tuesday. However, the SDF launched a series of attacks on Syrian positions on the first day of the truce, killing 11 soldiers and injuring 25 others.