Germany calls for end to PKK's terrorist activities in Syria

Germany has called for an end to terrorist group PKK's activities in Syria, emphasising that Syrian territory should not pose security threats to Türkiye.

Germany’s Syria coordinator Tobias Lindner told local media on Tuesday that Berlin understands Türkiye’s legitimate security interests and hopes that Ankara’s concerns should be addressed through political dialogue.

"I want to make it very clear: The PKK is a terrorist organisation, also from Germany’s perspective, and the PKK militants in northern Syria must understand that we are now in a different situation than before the fall of Bashar al Assad," Lindner told Table Media.

"Syria must not be used as an area of ​​operations for the PKK to carry out attacks against Türkiye. A very clear distinction must be made between the PKK and the Syrian Kurds in the north," he added.

The German diplomat said Western countries maintain constant dialogue with Ankara regarding developments in Syria.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure that Türkiye acts in concert with us, but there is no guarantee of this," he said, when asked about a possible Turkish military operation against the PKK structures in northern Syria.

Syria's territorial integrity must be respected

Lindner said Berlin shares the view that all armed groups in Syria should join Syria's new government security forces.

"The goal must be that all militias in Syria, not just the Kurdish ones, will ultimately be integrated into the Syrian armed forces. We are working on that," he said.

“What is important to us now is that there is an orderly and inclusive process. There must be verifiable steps and milestones - an important point here is the question of women's participation. And Kurds, Druze, Alawites and Christians, like all other Syrians, must also see themselves in this process," Lindner said.

The German diplomat also emphasised Syria's territorial integrity and stated that all regional actors, including Israel, are expected to respect these boundaries.

The YPG terror group is a key component of the so-called SDF, which has been a primary ally of the United States in the pretext of the fight against Daesh, another terrorist organisation that used to control a large amount of territory in Syria.

YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist group, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in which tens of thousands of people, including women and children, have been killed.

Ankara has long opposed US support for the YPG, calling it a direct threat to Türkiye's security as the group is the Syrian branch of the PKK, a group responsible for a decades-long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands, including civilians.

Türkiye has conducted several military operations, including "Euphrates Shield" and "Peace Spring," in northern Syria since 2016, targeting YPG-controlled areas to wipe the terror groups out along its border.