The US and France could secure Syria's northern border to mitigate the conflict with Turkey

A senior Syrian Kurdish official indicated that talks are underway on the possibility of US and French troops securing a border area in northern Syria as part of efforts to defuse the conflict between Turkey and Western-backed Syrian Kurdish forces.

Ankara has warned it will carry out a cross-border offensive in northeast Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia if the group does not comply with Turkish demands.

Turkey regards the YPG, which is led by the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist group linked to Kurdish PKK militants who have waged a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state.


The SDF played a major role in defeating Daesh in Syria between 2014 and 2017. The group still holds thousands of ISIS fighters and their families in prison camps there, but has been on the defensive since the rebels toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December.

French President Emmanuel Macron indicated earlier this week that Paris would not abandon the SDF, which was one of countless opposition forces during Syria's 13-year civil war.

"The United States and France could effectively secure the entire border. We are ready for this military coalition to take this responsibility," Ilham Ahmed, co-chairman of foreign affairs for the Kurdish administration in the northern territory outside the control of the Syrian central government, said, according to TV5 Monde.

‘We ask the French to send troops to this border to secure the demilitarised zone, to help us protect the region and establish good relations with Turkey,’ he added.


It is unclear to what extent Turkey would be willing to accept such an initiative, given that Ankara has worked for years to protect its border against threats from Syria and has vowed to destroy the YPG.

‘As soon as France has convinced Turkey to accept its presence on the border, we can start the peace process," Ahmed said. ‘We hope that everything will be resolved in the coming weeks,’ he added.

A source familiar with the matter said such talks were ongoing, but declined to say how advanced or realistic they were.

Washington has been negotiating ceasefire efforts between Turkish-backed groups and the SDF after fighting erupted when rebel groups advanced on Damascus and toppled Assad.

Speaking at a news conference in Paris alongside outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot hinted at talks on the issue.


"The Syrian Kurds must find their place in this political transition. We owe it to them because they were our brothers in arms against Daesh", Barrot assured.

‘We will continue our efforts ... to ensure that Turkey's legitimate security concerns can be guaranteed, but also the security interests of the (Syrian) Kurds and their full rights to participate in building the future of their country.’

Blinken said it was vital to ensure that SDF forces continued the task of controlling more than 10,000 detained Daesh extremists, as it was a legitimate security interest for both the US and Turkey.

‘We have been working very closely with our ally ... Turkey to navigate this transition ... It's a process that will take some time,’ Blinken said.

The US has about 2,000 troops in Syria who have been working with the SDF to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist group.

A French official noted that France still has dozens of special forces on the ground dating back to its previous support for the SDF, when Paris provided weapons and training.