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Türkiye’s justice minister said Wednesday that authorities have detained 14 people in connection with an attack on the Turkish national flag near the Syrian border, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc attended the parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Tunc said: “Legal investigations are being conducted into the demonstrations and provocations carried out in various parts of our country under the pretext of clashes between Syrian government forces and members of the SDF/YPG terrorist organization.”
The SDF is dominated by the YPG terrorist group, which Türkiye considers the Syrian branch of the PKK.
“Specifically, 14 individuals have been detained in connection with the flag-lowering incident. This decision was made by the Nusaybin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The detention process is ongoing. Work is also continuing to identify the individual who lowered the flag,” Tunc added.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it had launched an investigation into what it described as a YPG-linked terrorist attack on the Turkish flag along the Nusaybin-Qamishli border line between Syria and Türkiye.
“An administrative investigation has been launched into the attempt by terrorist organization sympathizers to cross the closed border gate in Nusaybin and the attack on our flag at the border gate,” the ministry said in a statement shared on the social media platform X.
Earlier, Türkiye’s communications chief Burhanettin Duran described the incident as “an open provocation targeting the nation’s peace,” saying the action showed the involvement of “dark forces aiming to sabotage the goal of a terrorism-free Türkiye.”
“Those who plan and execute such actions must know that every threat to the security of the Republic of Türkiye and every villainy against our sacred values will be met with the most resolute response,” Duran said.
The incident followed a ceasefire and integration agreement announced Sunday by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa with the SDF.
Under the deal, the SDF is to withdraw its military formations east of the Euphrates River and transfer administrative and security control of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces to the Syrian state.
The agreement also provides for the integration of SDF military and security personnel into the Syrian ministries of defense and interior following individual security vetting, as well as the transfer of border crossings, oil and gas fields and civilian institutions to government control.
The announcement came after a military operation by the Syrian Army, which regained wide areas in eastern and northeastern Syria following repeated violations by the SDF of earlier agreements signed with Damascus nearly a year ago.
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