SHOTLIST: WASHINGTON, US (JULY 20, 2025) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL) 1. (SOUNDBITE) RETIRED US DIPLOMAT JAMES JEFFREY SAYING (English): “It's not clear what Israel is trying to do in Syria, because it has a government that is dramatically opposed to the Iranian presence, having fought the Iranians for 14 years,” “So the Israelis intervened, then struck very strongly at the Syrian government, and the US, in the form of Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, had to intervene and to work a ceasefire, and for the moment, things are calm,” “How that is in the interest of anybody in the region, beginning with Jerusalem, I don't know,” “So it's a messy situation. Israel has to decide, with help from the United States, what it wants to do next with this government.” “The problem is the more the Druze in the south have an independent, autonomous position supported by an outside power with their own military forces, the more not only will the SDF and the Kurds generally want the same, but the Alawites in the west will want the same too and that's a recipe for the collapse of the country,” “So that's something that the US is watching and trying to be helpful with between Damascus and the Kurds,” “An independent state with its own army in northeast Syria is totally detrimental to the unity of country,” “It also could pretend it could be a risk to Türkiye and a risk to the reconciliation between the PKK and the Turkish government. So that needs to be watched,” “But on the other hand, the US, which has of course been the supporter of the SDF, has made it clear to everyone that it will only go so far in trying to keep the SDF as a separate entity,” “The SDF knows that it faces a powerful Turkish military,” “If this thing is not resolved in a way that is peaceful for everybody, I think that the word that Turkish officials have used – irreversible – is correct, and I hear that from the Kurdish side as well.” “I won't say ‘the Kurdish side’ because there are many Kurds who are not part of the PKK, I would say, from people close to the PKK also believe it's irreversible, and they generally accept it,” “So it doesn't make much sense to continue this struggle, does it?”WASHINGTON, US - JULY 20, 2025: Retired US diplomat James Jeffrey on Sunday criticized Israel’s military actions in Syria, warning that the country’s current policy risks destabilizing the region and undermining Syria’s territorial integrity. “It's not clear what Israel is trying to do in Syria, because it has a government that is dramatically opposed to the Iranian presence, having fought the Iranians for 14 years,” said Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Türkiye (2008-2010) and special envoy for Syria (2018-2020), in an exclusive interview with Anadolu in Washington. “So the Israelis intervened, then struck very strongly at the Syrian government, and the US, in the form of Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, had to intervene and to work a ceasefire, and for the moment, things are calm,” he said. The retired envoy said recent developments raise the key question: What are Israel's goals in Syria? He warned that a fragmented Syria – with the Druze south, Alawite west, and Kurdish northeast operating autonomously – could once again descend into civil war and open the door to renewed foreign intervention and Iranian expansion. “How that is in the interest of anybody in the region, beginning with Jerusalem, I don't know,” he said. “So it's a messy situation. Israel has to decide, with help from the United States, what it wants to do next with this government.” Jeffrey called the issue critical for Israel, saying Syria now represents the most significant strategic front in the Middle East. “The problem is the more the Druze in the south have an independent, autonomous position supported by an outside power with their own military forces, the more not only will the SDF and the Kurds generally want the same, but the Alawites in the west will want the same too and that's a recipe for the collapse of the country,” he warned, referring to the SDF, a group long supported by the US and dominated by the terrorist YPG/PKK. He urged the international community to take a unified stance, stressing the importance of Arab states, the European Union, the UN, NGOs, the US, Türkiye, and – where possible – Israel, speaking with one voice in support of Syria’s central government. On July 13, clashes erupted between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze factions in Suwayda. Israeli airstrikes followed, targeting Syrian military positions and infrastructure in Damascus. Israel used the pretext that the strikes were intended to protect Druze communities. However, most Druze leaders inside Syria have rejected foreign intervention and reaffirmed their support for a unified Syrian state. Israel’s military actions intensified following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. After nearly 25 years in power, Assad fled to Russia, ending Baath Party rule in Syria. A transitional administration, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, took office in January. - US monitors Damascus-Kurdish ties amid national unity risks Jeffrey also commented on relations between Syria’s new central government and what he called “Kurdish groups” in the country. “So that's something that the US is watching and trying to be helpful with between Damascus and the Kurds,” he said. “An independent state with its own army in northeast Syria is totally detrimental to the unity of country,” he added. Jeffrey warned that such a development could pose risks to Türkiye and harm what he called “reconciliation efforts” between the Turkish government and the PKK, a terrorist group that earlier this year pledged to lay down its arms. “It also could pretend it could be a risk to Türkiye and a risk to the reconciliation between the PKK and the Turkish government. So that needs to be watched,” he said. “But on the other hand, the US, which has of course been the supporter of the SDF, has made it clear to everyone that it will only go so far in trying to keep the SDF as a separate entity,” he added. He said the US remains in contact with Damascus. US Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, who also serves as ambassador to Türkiye, spoke with both sides in Damascus last week, according to Jeffrey. “The SDF knows that it faces a powerful Turkish military,” he said. “If this thing is not resolved in a way that is peaceful for everybody, I think that the word that Turkish officials have used – irreversible – is correct, and I hear that from the Kurdish side as well.” “I won't say ‘the Kurdish side’ because there are many Kurds who are not part of the PKK, I would say, from people close to the PKK also believe it's irreversible, and they generally accept it,” he said. Jeffrey said Kurds have made significant progress in cultural integration and political participation in Türkiye, while the PKK has suffered military setbacks. “So it doesn't make much sense to continue this struggle, does it?” he added. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the European Union, declared its dissolution this May after its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan called for an end to armed attacks in February. On July 11, thirty PKK members surrendered in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province and destroyed their weapons by tossing them into a burning cauldron.