Turkey’s Defense Ministry warned that the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) refusal to integrate with the Syrian army poses a direct threat to both Syria’s unity and Turkey’s national security.

The ministry said the SDF has failed to honor its pledges of “disarmament and integration with the Syrian state” and stressed, “Our position on Syria’s new process is clear; we will not allow the SDF to undermine it.”

The statement urged the SDF to respect the March 10 agreement signed in Damascus between SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa, which called for reintegrating military and administrative institutions. Disputes over governance and other core issues have stalled implementation.

President Tayyip Erdoğan warned this week that unresolved disputes could lead to “much bigger problems.” Nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli added that if the SDF does not comply with the deal, Turkey and Syria may be forced to launch a joint military operation.

Meanwhile, AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik rejected calls for decentralization in Kurdish-majority areas, calling it equivalent to a “terror state.” DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan countered that instead of threats, Ankara should “defend the Kurds,” warning that a military operation would endanger Turkey’s fragile peace process with its own Kurdish population.