Turkey faces a critical test in its longstanding conflict with Kurdish armed groups as it seeks to accelerate the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the political integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Damascus’ fold. 

While Ankara frames these moves as steps toward a “terror-free Turkey” and regional stability, deep-rooted mistrust among the Kurds, lingering geopolitical rivalries — especially involving Israel and the United States — and a fragmented domestic political landscape suggest that progress will be neither swift nor assured. The outcome will shape not only Turkey’s security calculus but also the future of Syria’s territorial integrity and the fragile balance of power in the region.

Turkey’s leaders remain optimistic about the disarmament of the PKK and the integration of what they describe as its Syrian offshoot, the SDF. Significant tensions, however, remain: The SDF wants to preserve its forces as a discrete unit within the army, while Damascus is pressing to integrate fighters individually and reassert central control over the territory it controls in the northeast. Ankara is eager to accelerate both efforts to prevent renewed violence, and may soon ramp up pressure on both groups.

There is hope in Ankara that the PKK — which has waged an armed campaign against the Turkish state since the 1980s — might finally lay down its arms, but officials point to neighboring Syria as a key piece of the puzzle.