Syria deal could remove main obstacle to Turkey-PKK peace, Turkish officials say

Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk for a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

ISTANBUL, Jan ‌19 (Reuters) - A deal under which Kurdish forces abandoned long-held territory in Syria to the Syrian government could pave ‌the way for Turkey to advance its stalled effort to end its decades-long conflict with the ‌PKK, Turkish politicians and officials said on Monday.

After days of fighting, the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Sunday to bring Kurdish authorities under the control of Damascus. By Monday, SDF fighters had pulled out of swathes of territory which were now under control of ‍the Syrian military.