Kurds decry Damascus pullout from Paris talks, point to Turkish pressure as HPG reports renewed Turkish attacks
The decision was announced via Syrian state media on Sunday, with an official source saying Damascus would not participate in meetings "scheduled in Paris." The source argued that a recent Kurdish-led forum in the city of Hasakah titled "Unity of the Position of the Components of Northern and Eastern Syria" did not represent a national consensus and contravened a March 10 framework understood to have been reached between transitional leader Ahmed al-Shara and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. The government reiterated that any talks should be moved to Damascus.
France and the United States, which have been facilitating the Paris channel, had not publicly commented at the time of publication. This is the second postponement in weeks, after a June 25 session also failed to materialize. The first delay was attributed to unrest in Sweida near Damascus.
Karim Qamar, the representative of the de facto Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in France, stated that the meeting was postponed without further details. Abdi said France had notified him of the last-minute delay, adding that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had told him Paris had been ready to host. Still, Damascus had requested a postponement due to the situation in Suwayda.
Kurdish officials and regional analysts say Ankara's influence is evident in the latest reversal, noting that Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, paid an unannounced visit to Damascus shortly before the Hasakah forum. Turkey has long opposed any formal empowerment of the AANES or the SDF.
SDF Records Violations
On Saturday, the SDF General Command said it had recorded 22 violations of a ceasefire arrangement, blaming factions aligned with Damascus and Turkish-backed groups. The SDF cited shelling and ground attacks in parts of Deir ez-Zor, Deir Hafer, and near the dam area, sometimes referred to locally as Damshr, as well as Tel Tamr, and reported suspicious movements around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods of Aleppo. The SDF said at least 11 civilians were injured and civilian areas were damaged. Calling the incidents a breach of the March 10 understanding, the SDF urged Damascus to rein in affiliated forces and said it remains committed to dialogue but is "ready to take whatever is necessary to defend" the region.
Attacks Also in Iraq
In a separate statement, the HPG's media center said the Turkish army had continued bombardments and drone reconnaissance across the Medya Defense Zones in northern Iraq — including areas around Hakurk, Metina, and Zap — between June 24 and August 7, despite what it described as a ceasefire decision. The group reported dozens of artillery and drone strikes, expansions of military roads and engineering works, and the dropping of surrender leaflets in specific sectors. Ankara routinely targets the PKK in these mountainous areas and describes the operations as counterterrorism; independent verification of the HPG's latest claims was not immediately available.
Karasu's Warnings on the Commission, Öcalan's Conditions, and Syria
Meanwhile, KCK Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu cautions that the current initiative around a parliamentary commission in Ankara will falter if it is reduced to a narrow, short-term exercise focused only on disarmament. He argues the body must engage Abdullah Öcalan directly and address the roots of Turkey's Kurdish question and democratization.
Karasu links progress to the activation of “Umut Hakkı (The Right of Hope)” and the creation of conditions that allow Öcalan to work freely, framing these as prerequisites for confidence and meaningful steps.
On security and regional policy, he argues that Turkey’s stability cannot be built on denial or confrontation with Kurds. He also advocates for a decentralized and inclusive approach in Syria, claiming that centralism hinders a durable settlement.
Damascus' Point
Damascus has framed the Hasakah forum as an effort to "internationalize" the Syrian file and revive sanctions, positions rejected by Kurdish authorities who say the meeting was meant to consolidate a negotiating mandate for a political settlement. While the government says the Paris format has been "dealt a blow," Kurdish officials argue that continued ceasefire violations and the decision to shun talks jeopardize the March 10 track.
The March framework was intended to reduce frontline friction, open space for political consensus-building, and inform a future constitutional process under international auspices. With the Paris channel stalled and clashes reported on multiple fronts, attention now turns to whether mediators can salvage momentum — and whether Ankara and Damascus will recalibrate amid growing Kurdish accusations of coordinated pressure.