Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli said, “The Kurds in Syria are one thing, the SDF is another. The SDF is a terrorist organization and does not represent the Kurds in Syria.” he said.
MHP President Devlet Bahçeli issued a written statement on developments in Syria.
Bahçeli made the following statements in his statement:
“In Syria, the SDF's establishment of de facto control zones in the northern and northeastern regions of the country has become one of the main obstacles to the reconstruction and stabilization process. The new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Shara, has identified the restoration of central state power by ending the fragmented structure as its top priority. In this context, the agreement reached with the SDF on March 10, 2025 is a step forward important turning point in ending the armed existence of the organization and its integration into state institutions. However, over the past 10 months, the SDF leadership has shown a clear contrary attitude to the spirit and terms of the agreement and tried to delay this process by placing demands for autonomy and federalism on the agenda. This approach is considered a clear threat to Syria's territorial integrity.
One of the most important factors underpinning the central government's position in this process is Türkiye's clear and uncompromising support for Syria's unified structure. SDF leader Mazlum Abdi did not respond positively to the Syrian central government's call to end the existence of the SDF and merge it into the central government according to the agreed deal, due to the support and provocation he received from Israel. Although Mazloum Abdi tried to gain concessions from the Damascus government by expressing demands for autonomy/federation, the Shara government acted decisively in establishing political unity and border integrity in the country. Türkiye's rhetoric at every opportunity that Syria should have a unified structure strengthened Shara and encouraged the central government to resist the SDF's insistence.
The SDF's failure to implement the demands of the March 10 agreement has caused serious reactions from both Ankara and Damascus. The military mobilization, which began in the last days of 2025, entered a new phase with the launch of operations against the SDF, which still maintained armed elements in Aleppo, and Aleppo was soon cleansed of SDF terrorists and the remnants of the Assad regime that supported it. Advancing east of Aleppo, the Syrian army took control of Meskene and 34 villages and towns after the SDF-occupied Deir Hafir, west of the Euphrates River, and Syrian army units began massing troops southwest of Raqqa. At dawn on January 17, the Syrian army declared that the area west of the Euphrates River was declared a closed military zone and called on civilians in the area to immediately stay away from the positions of the PKK terrorist militia and the remnants of the ousted regime allied with the SDF.
The superiority of the Syrian army on the battlefield against the SDF/PKK not only revealed the will of the Damascus government to maintain control over the entire country but also revealed the fact that the SDF is not as strong and effective as they claim. On the other hand, during this process it became clearer that many Kurdish and Arab tribes living in the area controlled by the SDF are uncomfortable with the existence of the SDF, prefer the sovereignty of the Damascus government, and would side with Damascus in a possible conflict between the Syrian Army and the SDF. During the period when the Syrian army advanced towards Raqqa on January 17 and 18, many tribes continuously declared their side with the Syrian central government.
This is the right thing to do, because the Kurds in Syria are one thing and the SDF is another. The SDF is a terrorist organization and does not represent the Kurds in Syria. These developments indicate that the SDF cannot control a geographical area consisting mainly of Arabs by force and that even if it wanted to keep it, the SDF would not stand a chance with the cooperation of the Damascus government and local elements opposed to the SDF. This table shows that time is no longer in the SDF/PKK's favor. In fact, on January 17, Mazloum Abdi's statement on behalf of the SDF terrorist organization that: “At the call of friendly countries and mediators, they have decided to withdraw to the east of the Euphrates River to demonstrate our goodwill in completing the integration process and in accordance with the commitment to implement the terms of the March 10 agreement” is an important step in implementing the March 10 agreement, although within the framework deterrence of the Syrian army. The Damascus government is not involved in a direct and comprehensive military conflict on the ground; It follows a strategy of shrinking the SDF's operational space by using political legitimacy, regional balance, and discontent among local actors.
This approach shows that the determination to reestablish central government does not stop at the level of discussion but is based on a step-by-step and controlled plan.
The SDF's emphasis on autonomy or federation is increasingly at odds with sociological realities on the ground. The fact that the Arab population predominates in most of the areas it controls, the aloof approach of local tribes towards the SDF administration, which they view as an exclusionary and ideological structure, and the discomfort arising from economic and military obligations, weaken the social base of the organization. This situation shows that the SDF maintaining the status quo through the armed forces in the long term is unsustainable. On the other hand, Türkiye's consistent and clear argument about Syria's territorial integrity and unified structure directly affects the balance on the ground. This approach by Ankara both strengthens the power of the Damascus government and creates a deterrent that limits the SDF's expectations of outside support. This attitude, centered on Türkiye's security sensitivities, makes the SDF's search for a “protective umbrella” increasingly tenuous. When considered within this framework, it can be said that the SDGs have three basic options: These are; Retreat from its armed and political claims by agreeing to integrate with the central government; Risks increasing military and political pressure by trying to maintain the status quo; It is trying to buy time by relying on external factors.
The current regional situation, the balance of power on the ground and developments show that the SDF/PKK is not strong, indispensable and has no alternative subjects as claimed; On the contrary, it shows that central state power is increasingly constrained by the attitudes of regional actors and local sociological dynamics. Therefore, the only and reasonable choice is to decide on the unity and integrity of Syria and fully implement the requirements of the March 10 agreement. It is clear that conflict will not benefit anyone. The key to Syria's reconstruction is the comprehensive gathering of the Syrian army under one roof. For the Syrian army to be restructured, habits left over from the conflict period must end. The YPG/SDF and all its affiliated structures must be quickly and completely dissolved and irreversibly tied to the organizations involved. In the coming period, the decisive factor on the Syrian battlefield will not be armed imposition; is the reconstruction of central government and to what extent local elements will be integrated into this process.
With Shara's declaration on Kurdish language and culture and decree no. 13 he signed; The declaration by Kurdish citizens of Syria that they are an essential and indispensable part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an indispensable element of the Syrian national identity, which is unity in diversity, will have a positive impact on establishing unity and stability. The mentioned decree shows the determination to establish a unified structure and eliminate areas of control of terrorist organizations in order to receive social consensus. This decree is a positive step towards strengthening reconciliation and social solidarity, not a concession to the SDF but on the contrary, it is a development that weakens the SDF's baseless claim that it is “representative of the Kurdish people”. The decree, which includes provisions related to the Kurds, will have the effect of reinforcing the concept of “Syrian Citizenship,” which is widely accepted, and weakening ethnically based separatist sentiment.
This decree does not target other ethnic groups such as the “Turks” living in Syria, and points out that the cultural rights of essential elements such as the Turkmen cannot be ignored while the new Constitution of the Syrian Republic is being prepared. Because it is clear that viewing these rights granted to the Kurds as a privilege reserved for a certain group could jeopardize national unity and solidarity, and caution must be exercised in this regard. In this regard, implementing similar agreements for Kurds, those without citizenship and those without a Kurdish identity, as well as the Kurdish language, for other groups across the country will ensure the creation of a democratic and inclusive political and cultural atmosphere across Syria.
However, steps should continue to be taken seriously to implement all provisions of the March 10 agreement as soon as possible. It is important that the SDF has withdrawn from the west of the Euphrates River and that the Syrian government will fully ensure stability and normalization of life in these areas in the short term. However, it should not be limited to the west of the Euphrates; The dream of pursuing a federation similar to that in Iraq should be abandoned. Syria should not be divided into artificial, geographical or ethnic zones west and east of the Euphrates River. The Syrian government must dominate all of Syria, provide services everywhere, control natural resources and ensure stability. “Instead of any model that would go against the framework of Syria's territorial integrity and political unity, Syria should be built as a reconciled and inclusive Republic on the basis of democracy, emphasizing partnership.”
