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Türkiye on Thursday underscored what it sees as mounting security threats from both Syria and Greece, warning that the YPG terrorist group’s failure to disarm endangers regional stability while accusing Athens of escalating tensions in the Aegean.
Speaking after a weekly press briefing at the Land Forces Training and Doctrine Command, Defense Ministry sources reiterated Ankara’s longstanding concerns that the group, which Türkiye designates as a terrorist organization, continues to undermine regional stability.
“The YPG’s failure to fulfill its commitments poses a threat to Syria’s unity and integrity, as well as our national security,” one source said.
They stressed that Türkiye will not allow the YPG to sabotage ongoing political processes and vowed to continue the fight against terrorism in coordination with Syria’s new administration.
“The YPG must comply with integration into the Syrian army and abandon rhetoric that undermines Syria’s territorial integrity,” the sources said.
Ankara stands ready to provide support to Damascus to safeguard both its own security and Syria’s stability, they said.
The remarks come as tensions run high between the YPG and the new administration in Damascus. Despite a March deal between the two sides, a fresh confrontation erupted in Aleppo. The army of post-Assad Syria intercepted members of the YPG on Sunday while attempting to infiltrate several military positions east of Aleppo city in northern Syria, local media said.
With U.S. support under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the YPG seized large swaths of northern and eastern Syria during the civil war, occupying key oil, water and agricultural resources. Turkish cross-border operations have since reduced their grip, but the group remains entrenched in several areas.
Under the March deal, the YPG would merge with the new Syrian national army. The agreement, which is expected to be implemented by the end of the year, would also bring all border crossings with Iraq and Türkiye, as well as airports and oil fields in the northeast, under the central government’s control. Detention centers housing thousands of Daesh members, now guarded by the YPG, would also come under government control.
However, the YPG’s insistence on entering the army as one bloc has stalled the process, and the group has been making statements calling for autonomy and thus endangering the territorial integrity of Syria.
Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the PKK terrorist group, which recently announced its dissolution and began a disarmament process that will end 40 years of bloodshed in Türkiye. The YPG insists it is not a party to the disarmament.
Türkiye, which developed cordial ties with the transitional government, has pledged to continue supporting Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, providing training and technical support upon request from Damascus to strengthen its fight against terrorist groups. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed that Türkiye “will not allow terrorists to drag Syria back into chaos and instability.”
Erdoğan ally and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, earlier this week said Türkiye and Syria would “inevitably” carry out a joint military operation against the YPG if the group fails to abide by the March deal.
Aegean tensions
Ministry sources also addressed recent reports in the Greek press claiming Turkish jets violated Greek-controlled airspace near the islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo. They rejected the allegations, noting that Türkiye’s naval patrol flights in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean have long been conducted in coordination with NATO and with the knowledge of Greek authorities.
On the day of the incident, the sources said, a Turkish P-72 maritime patrol aircraft carried out its NATO-associated mission unarmed, yet was intercepted by two armed Greek F-16s.
“Our unarmed aircraft was harassed and put in a dangerous situation,” the sources said, adding that Türkiye’s air force reacted moderately to ensure separation and prevent escalation.
The ministry stressed that Greece’s actions contradicted the spirit of the 2023 Athens Declaration, signed to improve bilateral relations.
“As Türkiye, we stand for reconciliation,” the statement said. “Our goal is to maintain the positive atmosphere in our region, and we will continue our constructive approach.”
The Athens Declaration, signed in December 2023 between Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, marked a renewed commitment from historic rivals to improve bilateral ties.
Delegations from both defense ministries met in Thessaloniki in April 2025 under the bilateral confidence-building framework, but tensions between Türkiye and Greece persist in the Aegean Sea, marked by recurring airspace violations and military confrontations.
In January 2025, Greece claimed to have intercepted Turkish aircraft breaching its airspace during Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” military exercise. Türkiye denied the allegations, attributing the escalation to Greek provocations.
Greek maritime jurisdiction claims often clash with Türkiye’s in the Aegean Sea, remaining a thorny issue for normalization. The neighbors, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses.
