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Aoun: Return of Refugees Cannot Await Political Solution

President Michel Aoun meets with the US delegation at the Baabda Palace (NNA).
President Michel Aoun meets with the US delegation at the Baabda Palace (NNA).
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Aoun: Return of Refugees Cannot Await Political Solution

President Michel Aoun meets with the US delegation at the Baabda Palace (NNA).
President Michel Aoun meets with the US delegation at the Baabda Palace (NNA).

Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed his country’s commitment to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, reiterating the importance of working for the return of displaced Syrians without waiting for a political solution.

Aoun met on Monday at the Baabda palace with a delegation of the US work group tasked by the Congress to evaluate the situation in Syria.

“The return of Syrian refugees to Syria cannot await a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the end of international disputes over the Syrian situation, especially as the influx of refugees has left negative repercussions on all the Lebanese sectors,” Aoun told the US delegation.

The president noted that his country - which he said provided all the humanitarian and logistical facilities for the displaced during the Syrian war - believed that the Syrian regions, except for the governorate of Idlib and its neighboring areas, were now stable and could safely accommodate the returning refugees.

He added that the United Nations should provide assistance to displaced people inside their country to encourage them to return and contribute to reconstruction efforts.

Aoun told the delegation that “Lebanon continues to organize the return of the displaced in coordination with the Syrian authorities,” adding that no information has been received about harassment incidents against any of the returning refugees.

During the meeting, which was attended by Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Selim Jreissati, the president also stressed Lebanon’s commitment to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, focusing on the existing cooperation between the Lebanese Army and the UNIFIL to maintain stability along the southern border.

Aoun highly valued the US support for the Lebanese Army in terms of training and provision of equipment.

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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)

Türkiye has denied holding any direct negotiations with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), asserting that no dialogue is possible unless the group dissolves itself and fully disarms.

Omer Celik, spokesperson and deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), firmly rejected recent reports and statements suggesting contacts between Turkish authorities and the SDF.

“No official meetings have taken place,” Celik stated Thursday, following a high-level party meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His comments came in response to a recent interview with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, who claimed there had been direct contacts and expressed openness to meeting Erdogan. Without naming Abdi directly, Celik dismissed the notion that Türkiye had engaged with the SDF as though it were an independent entity. “It is unacceptable to frame the situation in that way,” he said.

Celik reiterated that any engagement would only be possible if the SDF disbands, lays down its arms, and ends its affiliation with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. “If they disarm, then a meeting could be possible,” he added.

In recent days, several Western media outlets reported that US-mediated talks had taken place between Türkiye and the SDF. These reports claimed the discussions centered on reducing tensions, dissolving the SDF, and implementing a March agreement with the Syrian government that would see SDF fighters integrated into a new Syrian army and hand over ISIS-linked detainees and camps to Damascus.

While some reports hinted at a potential meeting between Abdi and either Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan or intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Fidan denied such plans. He confirmed that Türkiye is working with both Washington and Damascus to implement the SDF’s military integration.

Celik also acknowledged an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government that would see the SDF hand over territory to state control. He stated that all PKK elements, especially those from the YPG (the SDF’s leading faction), must leave the country.

Referring to a May 12 PKK statement titled “Dissolution of the PKK and Disarmament,” Celik stressed that Erdogan had made it clear that all PKK-affiliated structures, including the SDF, must be dismantled and disarmed.

“This is not about opposing Kurdish rights,” Celik concluded. “President Erdogan told Assad years ago: Give Kurds their rights like any other citizens. But we will never allow a terrorist state on our southern border.”