Syria moves toward integrating militias

The press conference was held on the occasion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s first visit to Damascus after the new government led by the Islamic organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was established in Syria.

Ambition to control all weapons

At a press conference in Damascus on December 22 with Mr. Fidan, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said armed organizations in the country would begin declaring disbandment and joining the regular Syrian army. “We absolutely do not allow any weapons that are beyond the control of the government,” AFP yesterday quoted Mr. al-Sharaa as saying. The new government in Damascus will soon announce the new structure of the defense ministry and army in the coming days.

The above regulations include the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the Kurds. Made up mainly of the Kurdish YPG force, the SDF was an American ally in the fight against the terrorist organization ISIS in the period 2014 – 2017, and still guards the prisons. IS fighters. However, Türkiye views the YPG as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an organization banned by Ankara, Washington and the EU.

For his part, the Turkish Foreign Minister affirmed that there is no place for Kurdish YPG fighters in the upcoming future of Syria. After discussing with al-Sharaa leaders about the presence of YPG, Mr. Fidan believes that Damascus will take steps to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria. “In the near future, the YPG must no longer be a threat to Syrian national unity,” Reuters quoted the diplomat, adding that the YPG should be disbanded.

Foreign Minister Fidan also called on the world to lift sanctions against Syria as quickly as possible. He urged the international community to mobilize efforts to revive Syria and create conditions for refugees to return to their homeland. Reuters cited estimated data showing that the nearly 14-year civil war in Syria has left more than half a million people dead and at least half of the country’s population displaced. Many people fled to neighboring countries, and in Türkiye alone there were 3 million Syrian refugees.

Regional powers “keep the bridge” with Syria

Yesterday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Damascus to meet representatives of the new government in Syria, marking Jordan’s latest high-level visit since the fall of former President al-Assad’s government. Jordan borders Syria to the south, and according to data from the Jordanian Ministry of Interior, about 1.3 million Syrians are refugees in the country.

On the same day, Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Khulaifi also arrived in Syria on the first Qatar Airways flight to Damascus after a 2-week hiatus. In addition, another regional power, Saudi Arabia, has also had direct contact with the new government in Syria. Riyadh confirmed that it will soon send a delegation to the neighboring country.

Iran, a longtime ally of former President al-Assad’s government, said it has not had direct contact with the new government in Syria, according to AFP, citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei yesterday. Tehran once again confirmed that it supports the territorial integrity of its neighbor, and warned that Syria should not become a harbor for terrorism.

Previously, during a meeting in Damascus on December 22 with the leader of the Druze religious minority community (Lebanon), MP Walid Jumblatt, Mr. al-Sharaa affirmed that Syria would no longer negatively interfere in the internal situation of Lebanon. Ice as it has been for a long time, according to AFP. Mr. Jumblatt is also the first Lebanese figure to come to Syria to directly meet with the new government leadership. Al Jazeera Radio quoted Mr. al-Sharaa’s commitment that all religions and minorities would enjoy fair representation in Syria.