Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are reportedly engaged in intense negotiations to implement an agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into Syrian state institutions. The push comes as a year-end deadline looms, adding pressure to the talks.
Sources indicate that Syrian, Kurdish, and American officials are working to demonstrate progress on the integration deal. Discussions have reportedly accelerated in recent days, although a major breakthrough remains uncertain.
According to sources, the Syrian government has presented the SDF, which controls northeastern Syria and commands an estimated 50,000 fighters, with a proposal. The proposal involves reorganizing the SDF fighters into three main divisions and smaller brigades in exchange for relinquishing some command chains and allowing Syrian army units into SDF-held territories.
The viability of the proposal remains unclear, and several sources downplayed the likelihood of a comprehensive agreement being reached at this late stage, suggesting further discussions are necessary. However, one SDF official stated, “We are closer to an agreement than ever before.”
A Western official suggested that any announcement in the coming days would be partially aimed at “saving face,” extending the deadline, and maintaining stability.
Washington, which supports the current Syrian government, has reportedly been facilitating the talks by relaying messages between the parties. However, it has not yet commented on the recent efforts to salvage the agreement.
A Syrian official stated that the integration deadline is “fixed” and can only be extended with irreversible steps. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently expressed Ankara’s impatience, emphasizing that Turkey does not want to resort to military means.
Sihanouk Dibo, an official in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, stated that “the most reliable guarantee for the continuation of the agreement lies in its content, not in the timeframe,” suggesting that the full implementation of all its clauses could take until mid-2026.
In March, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement stipulating the integration of all institutions.
