The Syrian government has signed an agreement with Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, setting the path for their reintegration into the country.
Tensions had been building between the United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and the new central government, led by ISIS lieutenant-turned-Syrian President Abu Mohammad al Julani, otherwise known as Ahmed al-Sharaa. Julani has ordered all armed groups in the country to disarm, including the SDF.
The two appeared to be headed for a clash until Monday, when Julani and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement, laying the groundwork for the SDF reintegrating into Syria.
The agreement stipulates that the Kurds are “an indigenous community of the Syrian state,” bestowing upon them full political and constitutional rights. Damascus will take control of the region’s vital oilfields and airports and manage its border crossings. It further calls for “all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria” to be integrated into the Syrian state.
“In this sensitive period, we are working together to ensure a transitional phase that reflects our people’s aspirations for justice and stability,” Abdi said in a post on X. “We are committed to building a better future that guarantees the rights of all Syrians and fulfills their aspirations for peace and dignity. We consider this agreement as a real opportunity to build a new Syria that embraces all its components.”
The agreement comes as Julani’s promises of an inclusive, secular, democratic state look more unlikely than ever. Just days prior, Julani’s forces massacred between 800 and 2,000 Alawite and Christian civilians during a brutal crackdown on anti-government partisans along the coast. Government fighters posted dozens of videos of the torture, humiliation, and murder of civilians on social media.
The massacres brought condemnations from the U.S. and Israel, while the European Union sought to retain a neutral stance.
The deal with the Kurds also leaves many questions unanswered. Since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, Kurdish forces have been locked in combat with Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army forces. With waning U.S. support, the Kurds felt they needed to make a choice between the lesser evil.
The questions that remain include whether the SDF armed forces will be able to operate within the larger Syrian Army and whether the Turkish-backed troops will cease their attacks against them.
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The Kurds have ruled their autonomous zone in the north of Syria since Assad’s troops withdrew from the area without a fight in 2013 in order to consolidate their lines. Turkey has invaded the enclave several times, viewing them as an extension of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, terrorist group.
The deal with Damascus comes after another major breakthrough in Kurdish affairs after long-jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan told his followers to lay down their arms and cease their decadeslong struggle with Turkey.
