Turkey's Erdogan hails Syria army for 'careful' offensive despite 'provocations'

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday hailed the Syrian army for its "careful" offensive to take over Kurdish-held areas of the country's northeast despite what he called "provocations".

"The Syrian army's careful management of this sensitive operation ... is commendable. Despite provocations, the Syrian army has passed a successful test, avoiding actions that would put them in the wrong when they are in the right," he said.

Deadly clashes erupted about two weeks ago between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-dominated SDF after the two sides failed to reach a year-end deadline to merge Kurdish fighters into the main Damascus military.

Days later, the army expelled the SDF from Aleppo then pushed rapidly eastwards sparking further clashes until Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire deal late Sunday that would see Kurdish fighters and Kurdish administrative bodies merged into the central state.

Turkey has long been hostile to the US-backed SDF, seeing it as an extension of the Kurdish militant PKK and a major threat along the 900-kilometre (550-mile) border it shares with Syria.

"The principle of one state, one army is indispensable for stability," said Erdogan, describing the ceasefire and the integration agreement as "a very important achievement for lasting peace and stability in Syria".

He urged the deal to be implemented as soon as possible, saying there was "no excuse for stalling or playing for time. The era of terror in our region is over. No one should miscalculate."