Iran has reportedly agreed to supply 1,500 suicide drones to the Kurdish YPG/PKK group in Syria to counter Turkey’s military operations, a journalist of conservative Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak, known for its support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), reported on Sunday.
Bugünkü haberim;Irak - Süleymaniyeçde İranlı subaylar ile terör örgütü PKK arasında görüşme gerçekleşti.Görüşme sonucunda İran, PKK’ya 1500 kamikaze drone sözü verdiAncak tarafların Türkiye’nin teslimatı vuracağı bilgisi nedeniyle teslimatı gerçekleştiremediİşte detaylar! https://t.co/rGQsqRJLUR
— Burak Doğan (@doganburak29) January 12, 2025
The PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) is a left-wing militia fighting for Kurdish independence in northeast Syria, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey, historically areas populated by ethnic Kurds.
The YPG (People's Defense Units) is a US-backed militia that controls areas of northeast Syria under the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Turkey's AKP views both groups as "terror" organizations.
An alleged meeting between Iranian representatives and the Kurdish organization reportedly took place in a market in Iraq, where the Kurds reportedly requested 2,000 drones. According to the unverified report, Iran clarified it could only provide 1,500 units.
Despite claims of an agreement being reached, the shipment was reportedly delayed due to Turkey’s close monitoring and its threat to intercept any drone transfers into Syria. Determined to block the deal, Turkey’s reported efforts have brought cooperation between Iran and the YPG/PKK to a standstill, as per the report.
The report further claimed that, under Turkish pressure, the YPG/PKK has shifted to an alternative strategy - transporting drones in separate parts to avoid detection. However, the success of this strategy remains in doubt due to Turkey’s continued operations along the border.
A resurgence of ISIS in Syria?
Abdul Rahman, a Syrian news analyst, cautioned that Yeni Şafak's unverified report could mark the return of ISIS near Damascus for the first time since 2018, when the Assad regime regained control of the area. “The resurgence of ISIS in the capital’s vicinity signals a new threat under the current administration and intensifies Syria’s mounting security challenges,” he warned.
Rahman also noted that a stockpile of weapons from the Assad regime remains hidden and now poses a “ticking time bomb” that threatens Syria’s fragile transition. He further suggested that remnants of militias, once aligned with the regime, are suspected of operating terror cells and maintaining ties with external actors.
The situation on the ground is particularly troubling amid the growing spread of ISIS cells across various regions in Syria. There is mounting concern that the resulting security chaos could undermine the country’s stability during this sensitive period of political transition.