A flurry of diplomatic efforts erupted over Syria to avoid the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The diplomatic rush comes after the US announced the end of the anti-ISIS mandate for the SDF, which it had backed for nearly a decade, effectively pushing for the group's integration into Syria's armed forces.
Syrian government troops this week seized vast areas of territory in the north-east and gave the Kurdish-led fighters four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed developments in Syria and Gaza in a call with US President Donald Trump, his office said on Wednesday.
"During the call, President Erdogan stated that Turkey was closely following developments in Syria, that Syria's unity, harmony and territorial integrity were important for Turkey," the Turkish presidency said.
It added that the two leaders also discussed the battle with ISIS and "the situation of the Islamic State prisoners in the Syrian prisons".
Ankara, the main foreign backer of Syria's new government, considers the SDF to be a terrorist organisation. It has praised Damascus's advances against the SDF and repeatedly demanded that the group disband, disarm, and integrate into the Syrian state apparatus.
"Our President said that a Syria that is developing with all of its elements, is rid of terror and in peace will contribute to the region's stability," Mr Erdogan's office said.
The Syrian army on Wednesday entered the Al Hol detention camp and took control of the facility after the SDF withdrew from it a day earlier. The camp houses thousands of ISIS members and their relatives.
In a series of calls with foreign leaders, Syria’s Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said his troops were deploying against SDF positions to safeguard a “united Syria”.
He told Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani that "the full rights of Kurds are guaranteed, including national, political and civil rights". According to Syrian state media, the two sides agreed on "maintaining co-ordination and continued consultation to ensure peace and security in the region".
Mr Al Shara also stressed the "need to secure the Syrian-Iraqi border and intensify joint efforts to maintain security and stability" in a phone call with the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, and assured Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, of the "importance of dialogue and boosting co-operation to achieve regional security and stability".
Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence spokesman Brig Gen Hassan Abdul Ghani affirmed the government’s commitment to the ceasefire near Hasakah, one of the SDF’s last major strongholds. However, the Kurdish-led fighters accused government forces of launching new attacks.
They reported a drone strike aimed at Al Awija neighbourhood near the train station in Qamishli. Separately, they said a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated himself inside the parking garage of a hospital in the city.
“There is still time to avert further violence that could all too easily spiral along ethnic lines. But to do so, both the SDF and Damascus will need to quickly return to talks to define how they will implement the ceasefire and integration agreement they signed," said Noah Bonsey from the International Crisis Group.
"The ceasefire terms agreed reflect the dramatic shift in the balance of power over the last couple of weeks. But they leave key questions unaddressed. Through further talks, the two sides have an opportunity to define a framework for integration that safeguards the rights of Kurds and all Syrians.”
