Turkey Offers Support to Syria Amid Escalating Aleppo Clashes

Turkish Offer Amid Aleppo Violence

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Thursday, January 8, 2026, that Turkey stands ready to provide support to Syria should Damascus request assistance, amidst escalating clashes in the northern city of Aleppo. Fidan's statement came as fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters intensified, leading to significant displacement and casualties.

The Turkish Foreign Minister also engaged in a phone call with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al Shaibani, on Friday, January 9, 2026, to discuss the volatile situation in Aleppo. Turkey has consistently viewed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), particularly the People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist organization linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Fidan described the SDF as the 'greatest obstacle for peace in Syria' and accused them of an 'uncompromising stance' and serving Israel's 'divide and rule' policy in the region.

Intensified Clashes and Humanitarian Impact

The recent wave of violence in Aleppo began on Tuesday, January 7, 2026, primarily in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid. These clashes involved Syrian government forces, including the Syrian army and General Security Forces, against the Kurdish-led SDF and their internal security forces, the Asayish.

The fighting has had a severe humanitarian impact, displacing over 140,000 people from their homes. Reports indicate at least 21 civilian deaths, with 12 in Kurdish-majority neighborhoods and 9 in government-controlled areas. The conflict also led to the cessation of operations at several hospitals and the suspension of flights at Aleppo International Airport. Both sides have accused each other of initiating the violence and deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.

Ceasefire Efforts and Kurdish Rejection

On Friday, January 9, 2026, Syria's Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire, effective at 3 a.m. local time, offering armed groups a six-hour window to withdraw from the contested neighborhoods. The terms stipulated that departing fighters would be allowed to carry 'personal light weapons' and would be provided an escort to the Kurdish-controlled northeast of the country.

However, Kurdish groups in Aleppo swiftly rejected these terms, vowing to defend their neighborhoods and calling for the Syrian government to withdraw its forces instead. The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, welcomed the temporary ceasefire, expressing 'profound gratitude to all parties' for their restraint. The underlying cause of the renewed hostilities is an ongoing impasse in political negotiations between the Syrian government and the SDF regarding a March 10 agreement that aimed to integrate Kurdish fighters into the Syrian army. The SDF has resisted this integration, advocating for decentralized rule.