5.2.1. Türkiye

Türkiye maintained control over northern border areas and deepened its cooperation with the interim government, notably facilitating the transfer of administrative control in Afrin from the SNA to interim authorities. Türkiye and the interim government reportedly began talks on a joint defence pact, which included Turkish proposals to establish new bases, use Syrian airspace, and lead the training of Syrian military forces.779

Türkiye welcomed the March 2025 agreement between Damascus and the SDF and has since largely refrained from military action against the SDF. According to International Crisis Group’s assessment, Türkiye seems to have four key demands: the disbandment of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the removal of PKK-affiliated cadres from the SDF, containment of Kurdish self-governance in northern Syria, and not having SDF as the sole political representative of the Kurds in dealings with the interim government.780

Türkiye has also sought to contain Israel’s military action in Syria, particularly to avert incidents that would affect its own military presence in the country. An agreement was reportedly reached in May between the two sides, including the establishment of a hotline to prevent conflicts.781 In the context of the Israel military campaign against Iran in June, Türkiye president Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Iran’s response as legitimate and described Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as ‘the biggest threat to regional security’.782
 

• 5.2.2.    Israel
• 5.2.3.    US-led coalition
• 5.2.4.    Russia