Turkey’s Erdogan advises Syrian Kurds to abandon ‘dream’ of decentralized governance

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed demands by Syrian Kurdish groups for Syria to adopt a decentralized system of government, saying these were “nothing more than a dream” and had no place in the neighboring country, Reuters reports.

Rival Syrian Kurdish parties, including the dominant Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast, agreed at a meeting on Saturday on a common political vision for the country’s Kurdish minority. The call for a decentralized structure was rejected by Syria’s new leaders.

“The issue of a federal structure is nothing more than a raw dream. It has no place in the reality of Syria. I advise (Kurds) not to dream of a federal structure or make decisions that will threaten the region, but rather take steps that will serve the stability of the region,” Erdogan told reporters on a return flight from Rome.

“We will not allow any forced structure right beyond our borders other than a unified Syria,” he said in reference to the 911km border Turkey and Syria share, according to a text of his comments published by his office on Wednesday.

The US-backed SDF is viewed as a terrorist organization by Turkey. The group signed a deal with Damascus in March on merging Kurdish-led governing bodies and security forces with the central government.

Ankara, seen as the closest ally to Damascus, has welcomed the deal but said its implementation must ensure the disbandment of the YPG militia that spearheads the SDF.

Erdogan also said recent attacks by Israel inside Syria were unacceptable provocations meant to harm the positive atmosphere there after the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.

He said he would meet US President Donald Trump face-to-face “at the first opportunity,” adding that he believed they “understand each other” regarding policies in Syria.

“On issues we think differently, our search for a compromise on a reasonable basis will surely continue,” he said, praising their previous contacts as “sincere, fruitful and friendly.”