Turkish-Syrian-American diplomacy surrounding northern Syria has entered a decisive phase following a new accord between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an outcome that Turkish officials see as a major strategic breakthrough. The deal follows months of intensive coordination involving Ankara, Washington, and Damascus, and reflects a notable recalibration of US policy on the ground.
US-Turkey Coordination on Syria Sets the Stage for Kurdish Forces Integration
The groundwork for the agreement was laid in November, when Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan returned from Washington after high-level meetings focused on Syria policy. According to accounts he later shared with colleagues in Ankara, Fidan conveyed that Turkish and American officials had reached a detailed alignment on Syria after reviewing the situation map by map and addressing Turkish security concerns point by point. During that visit, he also quietly attended a bilateral Oval Office meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump, a presence later acknowledged without official imagery. In Washington, Fidan held separate discussions with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Tom Barrack and Steven Witkoff, alongside Syrian officials. This coordination soon manifested on the ground, as Syrian government forces advanced into Aleppo neighborhoods long held by the US-backed SDF, moves that US officials privately endorsed despite public criticism from the Kurdish group, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Syria Deal with SDF Delivers Ankara a Strategic Victory While Redrawing Regional Dynamics
The subsequent ceasefire accord, announced after Barrack met President Sharaa following days of fighting in eastern Syria, effectively dissolves the SDF as an autonomous armed actor by integrating its fighters individually into Syria’s defense and interior ministries after security vetting. Control of oil and gas fields will revert to Damascus, state authority will be restored across Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, and Hasakah, and Syrian troops will deploy along the Turkish border, addressing Ankara’s longstanding security demands. The agreement also commits the SDF to expelling all non-Syrian PKK members, a central Turkish concern, while preserving Kurdish cultural rights and limited local governance in Hasakah. Turkey’s foreign ministry cautiously welcomed the deal, expressing hope it would stabilize Syria and protect its territorial integrity. The developments, reported previously by Middle East Eye and corroborated by official statements and diplomatic briefings, mark a rare convergence of Turkish, Syrian, and American interests, weakening rival external influence and potentially reopening space for progress in Turkey’s own stalled peace process with the PKK.