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Turkey sees Syria–Kurdish forces deal as "historic turning point", security sources say

AL-Monitor
Jan 19, 2026
A military vehicle of the Syrian army is parked on the highway near Tabqa, after the Syrian army took control of it, Syria, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
A military vehicle of the Syrian army is parked on the highway near Tabqa, after the Syrian army took control of it, Syria, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano — Mahmoud Hassano

ANKARA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Turkish security sources said on Monday that an integration deal between Syria's government and Kurdish forces marked an "historic turning point" ahead of which Turkey's intelligence agency played an intensive role to ensure restraint by parties on the ground.

The fight against Islamic State in Syria would continue uninterrupted, the sources said, adding that establishing stability and security in Syria was critically important for Turkey's goal of eliminating terrorism at home.

Turkey’s intelligence agency had been in dialogue with the United States and the Syrian government ahead of the deal, they added.

On Sunday, Syria and its main Kurdish fighting force struck a wide-ranging deal to bring Kurdish civilian and military authorities under central government control, ending days of fighting in which Syrian troops captured territory including key oil fields.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer )