SDF-Damascus understanding; final agreement far off.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, in an article titled “SDF-Damascus; Verbal understandings do not last”, stated: The new positions put forward indicate that the announced understandings between the “SDF” and Damascus have not gone beyond the verbal level, in light of the differences over the mechanism of military integration and the Kurdish insistence on an independent identity.
The media outlet wrote: A week has passed since the first meeting of the security and military subcommittees in Damascus between the delegations of the Syrian transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, during which an agreement was announced on some files, but the positions of the SDF, Damascus, and even Turkey are evidence that the announced agreement has not gone beyond the level of verbal understandings and no practical step has been taken.
“SDF” commander Mazloum Abdi had announced that he had reached an understanding with Damascus regarding the integration of his forces into the fledgling army, through three military divisions in the provinces of Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor. He also announced the integration of the Asayesh forces into the Ministry of Interior’s internal security apparatus and noted that oil, energy, and education issues would be discussed later; however, the fate of some matters, including a reliable mechanism for forming military divisions, has not been determined.
Al-Akhbar reported: The statements of the SDF officials indicate a lack of this understanding, meaning that Abdi is talking about the possibility of giving up the name SDF; however, “Sayban Hamu,” the commander of the People’s Protection Units, who headed the delegation to Damascus, stated in a statement: “Our joining the new Syrian army is conditional on respecting the identity of the SDF and its struggles.” These statements indicate an insistence on preserving the name of the SDF and its identity.
At the same time, “Ruhlat Afrin,” the commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPG), announced that these units have an independent identity within the SDF and will not give up this independence. The Women’s Protection Units are not part of the integration process with the Syrian army, but are an independent force.
Foreign Minister Golani’s opposition to any federal decree and division of Syria
In contrast, Foreign Minister Ahmed al-Sharaa, nicknamed Golani, believes that a historic opportunity has been created for the northern and eastern regions of Syria to become an active player at this stage, and any delay and procrastination in the implementation of the March 10 agreement will have a negative impact, hinder the interests of civilians and the return of refugees to their areas, and delay stability and development projects.
He strongly opposed any division or federalization, considering this issue non-negotiable, and said that now is the time to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army.
He added: “He who seeks to gain everything may lose everything, and stubbornness in the face of circumstances is an attempt to impose an unacceptable reality.”
Al-Shaibani also revealed that “nearly 200,000 Kurds do not have Syrian citizenship, and the government is capable of addressing this issue.” He noted that “Kurds’ access to government positions was previously limited” and that the Kurds now have “an opportunity to be actively involved in the next phase.”
On the other hand, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that he had held detailed talks with his Syrian counterpart and that it had become clear that negotiations with the SDF had not yielded tangible results.
He said that the People’s Protection Units (YPG) should withdraw from Arab cities as a first step to implementing the March agreement, which has not yet been done.