Syria moves to new phase after major defeat of terrorist YPG

The Syrian army succeeded in curbing the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG’s clout in the country and retook several towns after three days of clashes. On Sunday, Damascus announced a cease-fire and a “full integration” deal, sealing the fate of the terrorists for now. Developments are viewed as a key victory for the wider region, as Ankara, a major supporter of the new Syrian administration, highlighted.

“We know that the time given to the PKK and the deadline given to the YPG have now expired. Türkiye has also been waiting for nearly a year. That time is now over, and a step has been taken against the YPG. When we look at the declared cease-fire and the signed or announced 14-article agreement, we actually see that the YPG has lost,” assistant professor Mehmet Rakipoğlu of Mardin Artuklu University, told Daily Sabah on Monday.

Türkiye hopes the new agreement in Syria will advance efforts for stability based on territorial integrity and unity, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Sunday after the deal was announced. “We hope it is fully understood that Syria's future lies not in terrorism or division, but in unity and integration,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that the new period that began in Syria on Dec. 8, 2024, seen as an exceptional opportunity for the country to achieve a prosperous future, has reached a critical stage as of today. It underlined the importance of recognizing realities on the ground and voiced hope that all groups and individuals in Syria now fully understand that the country's future lies not in terrorism and division but in unity, cohesion and integration.

Türkiye will continue to support the Syrian government's counterterrorism efforts carried out with an inclusive and unifying approach based on the consent of the people, as well as its work toward the reconstruction of the country, the statement added.

The YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, neither complied wi