US, YPG hold fresh talks amid Syria turmoil, push for stability, unity

U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas J. Barrack held his second meeting in two weeks with YPG commander Ferhat Abdi Şahin, amid escalating tensions and violence in southern Syria.

The parties discussed the deteriorating security situation in Syria, particularly referencing last week’s deadly clashes in Suwayda, which reportedly left hundreds dead, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The embassy described the meeting as focused on the “urgent need to restore calm and stability” in the country and stated that both parties agreed “the time for unity is now.”

The YPG, which has played a key role in the U.S.-led campaign against Daesh, remains a contentious issue between Washington and Ankara.

While the PKK has been engaged in a disarmament process under Türkiye’s “terror-free” initiative, the YPG has resisted aligning itself fully with this path. Türkiye has suggested that the group could be absorbed into Syria’s restructured military, thereby dissolving its autonomous status.

Şahin reportedly reaffirmed his group’s preference for a decentralised political system, a position long opposed by Damascus.

Although the YPG reached a preliminary agreement with Syria’s new administration following the collapse of the Baathist regime in December, little progress has been made.

The U.S. embassy added that Barrack and Şahin discussed “practical steps” toward national integration and expressed their shared goal of a peaceful, inclusive, and stable future for all Syrians.

By Aghakazim Guliyev