Syria and the main Kurdish militia reached a comprehensive agreement on Monday that places Kurdish civilian and military authorities under the control of the central government, ending days of fighting that saw Syrian forces seize territory including key oil fields.
US envoy Tom Barak welcomed the agreement as a "key milestone" but stressed that more demanding work lies ahead to finalize the details of a comprehensive integration deal.
The terms of the agreement represent a major blow to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has governed the semi-autonomous region in northeastern Syria for more than a decade, according to Reuters.
The SDF, which has not yet commented on the agreement, has opposed integration into the Islamist government that has ruled Syria since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in late 2024.
The 14-point agreement, announced by the Syrian presidential office, bears the signatures of Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara and SDF leader Mazloum Abiy, who are said to have signed separately, with state media reporting they are due to meet in Damascus on Monday.
The new agreement brings tough conditions
The Syrian government and the SDF held months-long talks last year to integrate Kurdish military and civilian structures into state institutions by the end of 2025.
But as the deadline passed with little progress, clashes erupted, escalating into a government offensive on Kurdish-held areas. The agreement, effective today, states that the fighting should cease, although sporadic clashes have continued to be reported in some areas.
The agreement stipulates that all SDF forces be integrated into the central ministries of defense and interior as "individuals" rather than as complete Kurdish units, which was a key demand of the SDF.
It also states that all border crossings, gas and oil fields, as well as prisons and camps holding Islamic State fighters and associated civilians captured after the group's defeat in 2017, will be handed over to the central government - another point that the SDF has long opposed.
The government will also formally take over two Arab-majority provinces that were previously under SDF control – Deir el-Zor, the country’s main oil and wheat producing area, and Raqqa, home to key hydroelectric power plants on the Euphrates. Syrian state media has published photos of Raqqa residents celebrating the expected handover.
The agreement does, however, offer some concessions. It is envisaged that the SDF can nominate military and civilian personnel to take over key positions in the central government, and that in Hasaka province, which has a significant Kurdish population and is the SDF's main stronghold, the governor will be appointed by consensus.
The SDF also pledges to expel all non-Syrian members associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group that has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.
Sharrah accused the PKK of taking control of decision-making in the SDF and thereby blocking progress on integration, a claim the SDF denies.
The USA between two allies
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it hoped "the agreement would contribute to the security and peace of the Syrian people, as well as the entire region, especially Syria's neighbors."
"Recognizing the reality on the ground, we hope that all groups and individuals in the country will fully understand that the future of Syria lies not in terrorism and division, but in unity, integration and cohesion," the statement added.
The clashes have left the United States in an awkward position between its long-standing support for the SDF as a key partner in the fight against Islamic State and its new support for Sharia, which has pledged to unify Syria under a central authority that protects all Syrians, according to Reuters.
Barak met with SDF leader Abiy in Iraqi Kurdistan on Saturday, and with Sharr in Damascus on Sunday.
Syrian forces continued their advance today even after the US military publicly called for a halt to the offensive. A senior Kurdish commander told Reuters, before the agreement was announced, that the US should intervene more forcefully to end the fighting.
Kurdish concerns about the Sharia government have been further heightened by waves of sectarian violence last year, when nearly 1.500 Alawites were killed by government-aligned forces in western Syria and hundreds of Druze were killed in the south of the country, including in execution-style killings.
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