Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief Ibrahim Kalin on Wednesday met with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa during a visit to Syria’s capital of Damascus, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
The meeting addressed regional developments and the progress of the agreement with the SDF leadership on March 10, 2025, while emphasising the importance of Syria’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political stability.
Türkiye is closely tracking the ongoing process of integrating the US-backed Syrian YPG-dominated SDF into the Syrian army under a deal signed earlier this year, the Turkish National Defence Ministry said in July.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Zeki Akturk, said the integration process is expected to be finalised by the end of 2025.
On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the integration of the SDF into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
Yet in the months that followed, President Ahmed al Sharaa acknowledged contradictions between the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) public statements and their actions on the ground regarding the implementation of the March 10 agreement.
The SDF, which has received a great amount of military aid, financial assistance, and troop training from the US under the pretext of fighting Daesh in Syria, is dominated by the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terrorist organisation.
