Despite the reassurances, tensions remain… The Syrian Foreign Ministry denies extending the ceasefire with the SDF for an additional month
A source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry on Saturday denied the news circulating in some media outlets and social media platforms about the extension of the ceasefire period granted to the SDF.
The Syrian news agency SANA quoted an unnamed source in the ministry as saying: “There is no truth to what is being circulated about extending the deadline with the SDF,” which is the front of the YPG organization.
For his part, Syrian Information Minister Hamza al Mustafa said: “In the midst of successive political events and developments, statements attributed to various sources circulating through many media outlets and agencies are proliferating”.
He added in a post on X, “This phenomenon is normal in light of the wide media and information openness”.
“However, some of these statements may sometimes be used by some parties for purposes that aren’t related to the substance of the information itself, but go beyond it to other non-media considerations,” he said.
“The Ministry of Information is in constant contact with most agencies and media outlets, and is constantly keen to provide them with the necessary updates according to the nature of the questions raised,” he said.
“It also provides reliable and verified information through the national media, which is in line with the public’s right to know and the government’s principle of transparency,” he said.
“In the national media, we do not seek a media scoop, and we may sometimes be late in announcing some news,” al Mustafa said.
“However, our greatest concern is to maintain credibility and respect the public’s awareness, by publishing only the right news, those that aren’t shrouded in doubt and cannot be interpreted,” he added.
He concluded, “Based on this, we call on our public to draw information from its sources, and we renew our commitment to transparency in various issues, stressing that we have nothing to hide”.
A ceasefire has been in effect for days within the framework of a broader understanding between the government and the Kurds, which stipulated the completion of research on the future integration of Kurdish institutions in Hasakah province within the framework of government institutions after the withdrawal of the Syria Democratic Forces from large areas in the north and east of the country in the wake of a confrontation between them and the Syrian government forces that were deployed in these areas.
Earlier, a Syrian government source said that the agreement would be extended mostly for a month, explaining that the completion of the transfer of ISIS detainees is one of the reasons behind the extension.
A Kurdish source familiar with the negotiations said that the ceasefire would be extended until a political solution is reached that satisfies both sides.
In this regard, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi and Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met, as the meeting came at the request of the Kurdish leadership in Iraq, and focused mainly on the agreement reached by the SDF with Syrian government.
According to the information, an Iraqi Kurdish source familiar with the meeting said that the talks also touched on a proposal to withdraw the two sides from the periphery of the city of Hasakah, in a move aimed at reducing tensions and preventing military escalation.
On the other hand, Reuters quoted an official in the Syrian Foreign Ministry as confirming that the Syrian government had been and continues to favor a political solution from the beginning, stressing that the rights of the Kurds are guaranteed and that they won’t be marginalized as was the case during the rule of ousted President Bashar al Assad.
The Syrian official, who preferred to remain anonymous, added that all options were on the table, calling on the YPG units to give precedence to the logic of dialogue and return to the negotiating table.
