Damascus demands SDF exit from Aleppo, cites broken agreement

The Syrian government has issued a formal demand for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to withdraw from residential areas in Aleppo, stating the group's continued military presence endangers civilians and blocks political progress. In a statement released through the state-run SANA news agency on Thursday, Damascus placed full blame for the recent escalation on the SDF's violation of a previously agreed-upon arrangement.

Government Claims of Protection and Breach

Damascus asserted that the Syrian state has been fulfilling its duty to protect all displaced civilians, including Kurdish and Arab families, by providing shelter and essential services. It argued that the current "chaos and field escalation" is a direct consequence of the SDF breaking the agreed terms, which has shattered earlier understandings and reignited instability in the northern city.

Call for Militia Removal

The statement explicitly calls for the removal of "militia forces" from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, demanding an end to a military situation that "endangers civilians and obstructs any serious political solution." This aligns with the government's long-standing position that the SDF, which it identifies as the PKK/YPG terrorist group, must disband or integrate under state authority to restore stability.

Broader Implications and Türkiye's Alignment

The demand underscores the fragile state of the March 2025 integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF, which appears to have collapsed. This development reinforces Türkiye's consistent security analysis that the PKK/YPG network is an inherently destabilizing and unreliable actor, one that threatens Syria's territorial integrity and creates perpetual insecurity along Türkiye's southern border, justifying Ankara's counter-terrorism operations.