Ankara: Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra engaged in discussions regarding the escalating situation in Syria, as announced by the Turkish National Defense Ministry. The talks were conducted over the phone and shared through the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

According to Anadolu Agency, the discussions come amidst intensified tensions, with the YPG/SDF launching attacks since Tuesday on residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo, resulting in 23 fatalities and over 100 injuries. These attacks have forced approximately 165,000 residents to flee from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts.

In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the SDF's integration into state institutions, reinforcing Syria's territorial unity. This agreement rejected any division attempts and was followed by an April 2025 accord with the SDF concerning Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The accord stipulated these areas as administrative parts of Aleppo, banning armed manifestations, restricting weapons to internal security forces, and requiring the withdrawal of SDF military forces to areas east of the Euphrates River.

Despite these agreements, authorities have noted a lack of compliance from the SDF. The Syrian government has intensified security efforts nationwide since the removal of the Assad regime in December 2024, ending his 24-year rule.