BRUSSELS (Dispatches) – Turkey’s Defense Ministry has issued a stark warning to the U.S.-backed militants controlling large parts of northern Syria, threatening consequences if they fail to disarm and integrate into the Syrian army. The ministry described the militants’ refusal to comply as a direct threat to both Syria’s unity and Turkey’s national security.
Sources from the ministry emphasized that the militants must fully commit to disarmament and abandon actions undermining Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity. 
“The militants’ failure to fulfill their disarmament and integration commitments threatens Syria’s unity and integrity, as well as our national security,” the ministry stated. Turkey also pledged continued cooperation with the Damascus regime to combat “terrorism” decisively.
The militants, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and backed by the United States, control significant territory along Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish border. Ankara accuses the militants of threatening its security and has repeatedly used their presence as a justification for military incursions and occupation of parts of Syria.
In March, the militants’ leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to merge forces with the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime in Damascus, led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, a former Daesh commander in Iraq. However, analysts say the militants have no intention of honoring this pact, viewing HTS with deep suspicion due to its takfiri roots and recent attacks on minority groups.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently issued a forceful ultimatum to the militants during celebrations marking an Ottoman historic victory, declaring: “Those who turn to Ankara and Damascus will win. If the sword is unsheathed, there will be no room left for pens and words.”
Amid the U.S. military presence near the border, Ankara continues to amass forces and pressures the militants. Experts warn that this mounting tension risks sparking proxy conflicts between Kurdish and Arab factions, potentially destabilizing the region.