ANKARA (Reuters) – Kurdish militias in Syria must disarm and join Syria’s new government security forces, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday, after talks with her Turkish counterpart in Ankara.
Speaking at a press conference Baerbock said the security of Kurds was essential for a free Syria, but that Turkey’s security concerns must also be addressed to ensure stability.
“The Kurdish groups must be disarmed and integrated into the national security structure,” she said.
Turkey says the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, which has fought for years alongside U.S. troops, is an extension of the PKK group that fights the Turkish state and is designated as terrorists by Ankara, Washington and the EU. Turkish forces and their Syrian allies have clashed with the YPG since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad this month.
(Reporting by Alexander Ratz, Writing by Ece Toksabay)
