It was claimed that Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who has been holding meetings with various delegations and representatives from both domestic and foreign sources following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, also met with representatives of the PKK/YPG. FIRST KNOWN DIRECT CONTACTA Syrian official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, stated that Shara had 'positive' discussions with the PKK/YPG delegation on Monday, December 30. This was Shara's first known direct contact with the PKK/YPG. THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION WAS DISCUSSEDIt was noted that the future of the organization was discussed in the meeting. While it was stated that this meeting would serve as a precursor for the establishment of a dialogue platform, both sides agreed to hold such meetings again in the upcoming period. "KURDISH FORCES SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE NEW ARMY"In a statement to a television channel on Sunday, Shara emphasized that Kurdish forces in Syria should also be integrated into the new army, stating, "Weapons should only be in the hands of the state. We will welcome everyone who is armed and has the capacity to join the Ministry of Defense."
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