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US-led Int’l Coalition Renews Support to Raqqa Civil Council

A US tank heading to Tall Tamr in al-Hasaka, northeastern Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic)
A US tank heading to Tall Tamr in al-Hasaka, northeastern Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic)
    Qamishli - Kamal Sheikho
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US-led Int’l Coalition Renews Support to Raqqa Civil Council

A US tank heading to Tall Tamr in al-Hasaka, northeastern Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic)
A US tank heading to Tall Tamr in al-Hasaka, northeastern Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic)

A delegation from the US-led International Coalition and the US army held several meetings with leaders from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Al-Raqqa Civil Council to discuss the mounting Turkish threats against the east of the Euphrates.

A source from the council said that the meetings touched on the developments in Syria and the increased Turkish threats to launch military attacks against SDF locations.

The council received assurances over assured over its presence in the area. Also, the coalition affirmed that operations against ISIS targets will continue in Raqqa.

US forces and the Int’l Coalition forces are deployed in several military bases and locations in Raqqa and its eastern countryside.

In a related context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) activists reported that the Russian forces deployed the S300 air defense system in al-Tabaqah Airport that is considered a main base for the Russia in al-Raqqa countryside.

The deployment came in light of increased Russian activity in northeast Syria. Also, new military reinforcements took place in the past few days while regime forces conducted military maneuvers.

Moreover, three Iraqi nationals were killed at the northeastern Syrian camp of Al-Hol.

A security source revealed that two Iraqi refugees, including the chairman of the Iraqi refugees’ council, were killed on Friday by suspected ISIS gunmen. Also, a woman originally from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul died of bullet wounds on Saturday.

Notably, Al-Hol is home to more than 60,000 people, half of whom are Iraqi nationals.

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).