Turkey rejects US claims of ceasefire with Kurdish fighters in Syria

Turkey has firmly rejected US claims that it agreed to a ceasefire with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, vowing to continue its military operations in the region, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday. 

This comes after US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller suggested that a ceasefire agreement, brokered by Washington, had been extended until the end of the week between Turkish-backed rebels and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around the city of Manbij.

A senior Turkish defence official dismissed these claims as a “slip of the tongue,” reiterating that Turkey would not engage with the SDF, which it views as a "terrorist" organication due to its links with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), a group that has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. 

Turkey has been clear that it will not cease its military operations in the region until the PKK and its affiliates, including the YPG (People’s Protection Units), disarm and leave Syria.

“The fight against terrorism will continue until the PKK/YPG disarms and its foreign fighters leave Syria,” the official stated. Turkey regards both the PKK and YPG as terrorist groups, although the US and other Western allies only consider the PKK as such.

Turkey’s stance comes amid heightened tensions over potential military actions in Kurdish-held territories in Syria, including the border town of Kobane. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently rejected comments from US President-elect Donald Trump, who described the Syrian conflict as an "unfriendly takeover" by Turkey. Fidan called such claims a "grave mistake" and stressed that Turkey's involvement was focused on ensuring national security.

As the situation in Syria evolves, Turkey maintains that it is up to the new Syrian administration to clear its territory of foreign fighters, particularly PKK members embedded in the YPG. If the new Syrian leadership fails to do so, Turkey has signalled that it may take further action.