DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – Syrian government officials engaged in discussions on Sunday with the commander of the primary Kurdish-led force in the country, seeking to explore the possibility of merging it with the national army. According to state media reports, these talks yielded no "tangible results" to further the integration process.
The Syrian leadership, under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, had previously signed an agreement in March with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed group that maintains control over a significant portion of northeastern Syria. This deal stipulated that the SDF would integrate into the Syrian army by the end of 2025. However, ongoing disputes regarding the nature of this integration have persisted, particularly regarding whether the SDF would retain its identity as a cohesive unit or if its members would be individually incorporated into the national military.
During the Sunday meeting, a delegation headed by SDF’s top commander, Mazloum Abdi, convened with Syrian government officials in Damascus to discuss the military integration process. The SDF later released a statement indicating that the discussions had concluded, with additional details to be disclosed at a later date. The SDF comprises tens of thousands of fighters and represents the main group that is anticipated to be absorbed into the Syrian military.
Despite the initiative, state-run television noted that the meeting did not generate "tangible results,” indicating that the implementation of the agreement was not accelerated. Both parties agreed to hold further discussions at a future date to continue addressing the integration issues.
The agreement from March not only involves military integration but also entails bringing all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, as well as airports and oil fields in the northeast, under the central government's authority. Additionally, prisons holding approximately 9,000 individuals suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group are also expected to come under government control.
Turkey, which wields substantial influence in Syria, has voiced strong opposition to the SDF integrating into the Syrian military as a single entity. Ankara classifies the SDF as a terrorist organization due to its connections to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been engaged in a prolonged insurgency in Turkey, despite ongoing peace negotiations.
In a related incident, in late December, clashes erupted between security forces and SDF fighters in Aleppo, northern Syria, coinciding with a visit from Turkey's foreign minister. This incident underscores the rising tensions surrounding the SDF and its potential integration into the Syrian military structure.
The meetings in Damascus on Sunday were also marked by a separate security concern, as three rockets struck a western neighborhood of the capital, resulting in damage to a mosque and a telecommunications center but thankfully no reported casualties. State media described the rockets as "random" but did not provide information on the origin of the attack or who may have been responsible.
