The CNNTurk correspondent reports that, according to a statement from the U.S. Pentagon, “The U.S. military mission in Syria will remain until the definitive defeat of the Islamic State.”

According to the same source, the merging of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is seen as the first and fundamental step towards ending the Syrian civil war, while “the Pentagon will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

Following this position from Washington, the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Syria—long expected by Turkey—remains uncertain. This is despite Ankara’s push to convince Washington that the fight against the Islamic State could now be handled by a regional five-party security mechanism involving Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. This proposal was presented during the Foreign and Defense Ministers’ summit, which also included intelligence chiefs from all five countries, on March 8 in Amman, Jordan.

Turkish Defense Ministry Response

Sources from the Turkish Ministry of Defense, during a regular press briefing for defense correspondents, commented on the SDF-Damascus agreement, stating:
“We will observe how the agreement is implemented and its impact on the ground. We will closely monitor both its positive and negative effects, as well as its clear outcomes. As Turkey, our determination in the fight against terrorism remains steadfast.”

Erdogan’s Position on the Agreement

On Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the Kurdish agreement with Damascus and called for its full implementation. He emphasized that he places great importance on strengthening Syrian unity and sees any effort to rid Syria of terrorism as “a step in the right direction.”