ANKARA, Jan 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Outlawed Kurdish militants in Turkey will "never abandon" Kurds in Syria following an offensive by Damascus, a leader of the PKK armed group said, quoted by the Firat news agency Tuesday.

Syrian forces began an offensive nearly two weeks ago which pushed Kurdish-led SDF forces out of the northern city of Aleppo, and expanded over the weekend to push deep into territory that has been held by Kurdish forces for over a decade.

"You should know that we will not leave you alone. Whatever the cost, we will never leave you alone.. we as the entire Kurdish people and as the movement, will do whatever is necessary," Murat Karayilan of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was quoted as saying by Firat.

A close ally of Syria's new leadership that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the Turkish government is simultaneously leading a drive to reach a settlement with the PKK -- listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

Karayilan said the Damascus-led offensive was an "attempt to nullify" the peace process in Turkey.

"This decision by international powers to enable these attacks, will be a black mark for the US, the UK, Germany, France and other international coalition states," he said.

On Monday, at least 500 people rallied in Turkey's Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir against the Syrian offensive. Clashes erupted when pollice tried to break up the protest.

The pro-Kurdish DEM party, the third largest force in the Turkish parliament, called for a rally on Tuesday in the town of Nusaybin, located on the border with Syia.