ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Turkey’s defense ministry on Wednesday renewed threats of severe consequences for Kurdish-led authorities in Syria as the year-end arrival and expiry of the stalled integration agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) approaches, saying Ankara will support Damascus if it seeks to take initiatives to preserve its “unity and integrity.”

Turkish authorities have intensified calls on the Kurdish forces to integrate into the Syrian army, as Ankara views the SDF as an extension of its now-dissolved domestic foe, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and thus a threat to its national security. Turkey has also, on several occasions, made direct and indirect threats to the SDF for allegedly stalling the process.

Meanwhile, Kurdish authorities in Rojava have routinely denied claims of posing a threat to Turkey and have shown willingness to enter into dialogue with Ankara to resolve their disputes.

“We are continuing close cooperation with the Syrian government in line with the 'One State, One Army' principle and closely monitoring the integration process. If the Syrian government decides to take an initiative for its unity and integrity, Turkey will support it," the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement posted by state media TRT on Wednesday.

On March 10, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed an agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led forces and institutions in northeast Syria (Rojava) into the Syrian state.

The implementation of the agreement has been stalled due to the Kurdish side demanding a democratic integration while Damascus maintains its centralized stance, with frequent clashes between both sides further escalating tensions.

"The SDF continues to voice demands for decentralization and federalism and is not taking steps towards integration with the central authority,” the ministry said, adding that “as we have emphasized before, this attitude of the SDF is damaging Syria's territorial integrity and stability.”

On Tuesday, the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan urged Turkey to assume a constructive and dialogue-oriented role in implementing the agreement to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian army.

Days earlier, Mustafa Karasu, a senior commander of the PKK, criticized Turkey’s push to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian state while using threats against Rojava, calling Ankara a “negative influence” and emphasizing that the agreement is an internal matter between the Kurds and the Syrian government.

While the March 10 agreement was supposed to be completed by the end of 2025, the Rojava administration’s communications office has said that this does not indicate a fixed deadline but sets a timeline “to encourage progress.”

The administration’s clarification came after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned of possible military action and that Ankara is running out of patience with the Kurdish-led forces over the integration process. 

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who initiated the peace process in Turkey on Wednesday, slammed the SDF as “Israel's henchman and a puppet driven by impossible dreams,” saying the Kurdish forces' integration into the Syrian state is in “everyone's common interest,” the state-owned Anadolu Agency reported. 

"Every hypocritical consideration that aims to destroy the security artery of Turkey and the countries in the region will have dire consequences for its perpetrators and accomplices,” he added.