ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Syria ceasefire set to expire Saturday should be extended to reduce security risks while Islamic State (ISIS) prisoners are transferred to Iraq, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.
Fidan said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV that “Right now, the transfer of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq is in question. In such an environment, the ceasefire may need to be extended a bit longer. There is such a request at the moment.”
His remarks came as a four-day ceasefire between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Army was due to expire on Saturday.
On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced 150 ISIS detainees were being transferred from a Hasaka prison to a secure location in Iraq, adding that up to 7,000 ISIS prisoners could eventually be moved to Iraqi-controlled sites.
The developments follow reports that hundreds of ISIS prisoners escaped SDF-run detention facilities this week after the prisons came under attack by Damascus-affiliated armed groups. Kurdish-led forces also withdrew from al-Hol camp, southeast of Hasaka, which houses around 25,000 family members of ISIS fighters.
President Masoud Barzani said on Friday, “We hope the ceasefire will hold and lead to a solution that benefits all sides.”
“There is actually no reason for the US to stay there,” Fidan said.
Rudaw understands that US forces stationed in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria (Rojava) are preparing for a potential withdrawal, adding to uncertainty amid the escalating tensions.
Fidan also commented on the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization of Kurdish parties tied to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“If they want to show goodwill, let them start by removing PKK members who are not Syrian from Syria,” he said.
The PKK, which rebranded as the Kurdistan Freedom Movement in May, previously spearheaded the KCK and is engaged in an ongoing peace effort with Ankara.
Damascus and its closest regional ally, Turkey, have in recent days intensified rhetoric against the PKK. Syrian state-run media outlets have accused the group of backing the SDF and allied Kurdish forces in Syria.
Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organization, arguing it is backed by the PKK, which Ankara has outlawed. The SDF has denied the accusation.
Updated at 12:11 am.