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Türkiye supports Syria’s fight against terrorist groups in line with the country’s unity and territorial integrity and would provide assistance if requested, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing, ministry officials said Türkiye “supports Syria’s fight against terrorist organizations” and is “closely monitoring” developments in northern Syria.
“Should Syria request assistance, Türkiye will provide the necessary support,” the ministry said.
Officials stressed that the operation launched against the PKK/YPG terrorist group operating under the name of the SDF in Aleppo was being carried out entirely by the Syrian army.
“Syria’s security is our security,” the ministry added, noting that developments are being closely followed.
The Syrian army said Thursday it would begin operations against SDF positions in the Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud and Bani Zeid neighborhoods of Aleppo at 1:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT).
The military said earlier this week that SDF positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods were “legitimate targets” following what it described as an escalation and “massacres” in the province.
Syrian media reported that the PKK/YPG-led SDF shelled residential neighborhoods in Aleppo for the third consecutive day on Thursday.
State-run Alikhbariyah TV said SDF forces targeted the Lairamoun area and the Shihan traffic circle using machine-gun fire.
At least six people have been killed and 39 others injured since Tuesday, according to Syrian figures.
The broadcaster said civil defense teams and internal security forces continued evacuating civilians from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods through Al-Zohour Street due to continued SDF shelling.
Over 3,000 civilians have been displaced from their homes as a result of the attacks, Syrian authorities said.
The violence has also forced Aleppo’s provincial administration to extend the suspension of classes at public and private schools and universities across the city on Thursday.
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On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming Syria’s territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
Syrian authorities say the SDF has not taken steps to implement the agreement in the months since it was signed.
The Syrian government has stepped up security efforts nationwide since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, ending over two decades in power.
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