Syrian Government Takes Control of Ain al-Arab (Kobani) After SDF Integration Agreement

The Syrian government took control of Ain al-Arab (Kobani) in eastern rural Aleppo as Ibrahim Muslim, designated to administer the region, took up his duties after meeting the SDF’s commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi in the city of Hasakah.

The move followed an agreement signed in January between the government and the SDF after armed clashes, with the agreement calling for integrating the SDF into state institutions militarily, politically, and security-wise.

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President Ahmad al-Shar(a) said the agreement is not aimed at excluding but at unifying all Syrian components within the body of the state.

A political researcher, Mustafa al-Na’imi, said on the Beyond the News program that the state’s takeover of Ain al-Arab Kobani is part of a larger project for stability in the Middle East, and that the part related to the Hasakah city would also be implemented.

Lawyer and political analyst Mustafa Sheikh Muslim said the most sensitive files between the government and the SDF—namely the military and security aspects—have been successfully overcome, while education, transportation, Kobani University graduates, and service institutions such as the post office and civil status offices still need implementation.

Turkey’s presidency said Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Vladimir Putin that Turkey will back a process involving all parties toward peace in Ukraine during a telephone conversation, and that Putin thanked Erdogan for hosting peace talks.

The Turkish presidency said Erdogan is closely following the evolution of the peace process and supports approaches aimed at establishing a durable peace with the participation of all parties, while Istanbul has been proposed by Putin as the site for direct talks with Ukraine.

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BFM described the planned talks as to be held this Thursday, May 15, with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and a Russian delegation whose composition remains unknown.

BFM also said Turkey has hosted three rounds of diplomatic talks in Istanbul between Kyiv and Moscow since May, which did not lead to significant progress but did result in prisoner exchanges.

General Jérôme Pellistrandi told BFMTV that "Istanbul appears as the best solution to hold discussions, all the ingredients are in place," linking the choice to Turkey’s role as a NATO member and its control of two straits essential to the region’s commercial and military flows.

In a telephone interview with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Benjamin Netanyahu as the "greatest threat" to regional security, according to a statement released by the Turkish presidency.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today, Monday, that his government has managed to deal with what he described as "traps to lure Turkey into war" by pursuing a foreign policy based on dialogue, diplomacy, and the pursuit of peace”

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Erdogan said, "Netanyahu has again shown that he represents the greatest threat to security in the region," and added that he would continue his diplomatic efforts to end this cycle of violence.

Al-Jazeera Net reported that Erdogan said Turkey thwarted attempts to drag Turkey into war by pursuing a foreign policy based on dialogue, diplomacy, and the pursuit of peace.

In the same speech after a meeting with his government, Erdogan accused Israel of continuing to hinder the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and carrying out attacks targeting civilians, and he condemned Israeli forces' interception of ships of the Global Resilience flotilla bound for Gaza in international waters.

Al-Jazeera Net also quoted Erdogan describing what happened as piracy and arrogance, while affirming that Turkey will continue to stand alongside the Palestinian people and support international solidarity with the Palestinian cause.