Türkiye, Syria hold talks on Aleppo amid YPG/SDF attacks

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani spoke by phone on Friday to assess the rapidly evolving security situation in Aleppo, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. The talks came amid renewed attacks by the terrorist organization YPG/SDF in several parts of the northern Syrian city.

Attacks and calls for compliance

Syrian officials said the YPG/SDF has launched assaults on multiple locations in Aleppo from areas it has occupied since Jan. 6. Damascus has urged the group to abide by the agreement reached on March 10, which called for an end to hostilities and integration into state institutions, warning that continued violations undermine Syria’s territorial unity.

Syrian army responds in Aleppo neighborhoods

As attacks persisted, Syrian forces carried out targeted military operations against YPG/SDF positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods, areas long under the group’s control. Authorities said the actions were aimed at restoring security and protecting civilians in the densely populated districts.

Agreement stalls after Assad’s ouster

The March 10 agreement, announced by the Syrian presidency, was designed to integrate the YPG/SDF into state structures and prevent fragmentation of the country. However, officials say the group has failed to take concrete steps to implement the deal in the months following the removal of the Assad regime in December 2024, which ended 24 years of rule.

Civilian toll and displacement

Since Jan. 6, at least nine Syrians have been killed and 55 people, most of them civilians, wounded in YPG/SDF attacks, according to local authorities. The Aleppo City Center Committee reported this week that around 142,000 residents have been evacuated to safer areas within the city as security operations continue.