 of blocking Syria’s stability by insisting on holding territory and claimed the group was acting in line with Israel’s regional agenda as Syrian forces started a military operation in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods.){kind=link}
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of blocking Syria’s stability by insisting on holding territory and claimed the group was acting in line with Israel’s regional agenda as Syrian forces started a military operation in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods.
At a joint news conference in Ankara with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi on Thursday, Fidan argued that “the insistence of the SDF on protecting what it holds at any cost” is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in Syria and said Ankara wants Aleppo to “normalize” through an SDF withdrawal from the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods and the removal of heavy weapons so the central government can carry out its duties across the city.
He also alleged that the SDF had become “a tool” of Israeli policy, saying Israel benefits from division, chaos and weakness in the region.
The Syrian authorities made available an evacuation corridor for a second day and told residents to leave Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyah and Bani Zaid before “targeted operations” begin, with more than 57,000 people displaced in Aleppo province since the fighting erupted Tuesday.
📍 Syria | The recent fighting in densely populated neighbourhoods of Aleppo City has resulted in casualties and displacement among the population, disrupted access to essential services, and put critical civilian infrastructure at risk.
We stand ready to respond to the urgent… pic.twitter.com/pWI80KhKBU
— ICRC (@ICRC) January 8, 2026
The SDF and Syrian officials have issued different casualty figures.
The SDF said at least eight civilians were killed in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, while Syrian officials reported at least five civilians and one soldier killed in surrounding government-held areas since the fighting began Tuesday.
Each side has accused the other of targeting civilian neighborhoods and infrastructure.
The latest fighting has put fresh pressure on a political deal signed on March 10, 2025, between Syria’s interim leadership in Damascus and the SDF, under which the Kurdish-led force was to merge into the Syrian army by the end of 2025.
The SDF control large parts of northeastern Syria, including oil and agricultural areas, and has been the main US partner on the ground against the Islamic State group in Syria.
Attacks by the Syrian regime's forces against the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo – are grave and dangerous.
The international community in general, and the West in particular, owes a debt of honor to the Kurds who fought bravely and successfully against ISIS.
Systematic…— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) January 8, 2026
Israel also weighed in on the situation. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday wrote on X that attacks by Syrian forces against the Kurdish minority in Aleppo were “grave and dangerous” and warned that international silence could fuel more violence.
Turkey treats the SDF as a security threat because Ankara says the group is dominated by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which it describes as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Turkey’s defense ministry, in separate comments, said the Aleppo operation was carried out “entirely by the Syrian army” and denied Turkish involvement, while saying Turkey is ready to support Syria if asked.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also addressed the fighting Thursday, calling the situation “extremely fragile” and saying Turkey is ready to provide support to end clashes and restore stability.
The United Nations and the United States have voiced concern.
A UN spokesperson said Wednesday that Secretary General António Guterres was alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries and called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations to implement the March 10 agreement.
A US State Department official said Thursday that the United States is closely monitoring the situation and urged restraint, adding that US envoy Tom Barrack is trying to facilitate dialogue between the sides.
The Aleppo flareup has also drawn sharp criticism from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which accused Damascus of targeting Kurdish and Assyrian civilian areas and alleged the involvement of armed groups it described as Turkey-backed.
On Thursday the DEM Party spokesperson called on Damascus to “stop the attacks on Kurds and Assyrians.”