Coming Together: Kurds Agree To Be Part of Syria

Syria’s interim government reached a landmark agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), one that would integrate the Kurds into national institutions while still allowing the minority group autonomy, in a deal that marks a significant step toward unifying the country, CNN reported Tuesday.

On Monday, Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who signed the deal with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi in Damascus, said the agreement is aimed at “ensuring the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process and all state institutions based on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.”

The deal establishes Syria’s Kurdish community as an integral part of the state and will grant citizenship to tens of thousands who were previously denied it under the Assad regime.

It also establishes a nationwide ceasefire, brings northeastern Syria under government control, and integrates Kurdish and Syrian military and civil institutions, including airports, and oil and gas fields, according to Al-Monitor.

The parties also agreed to combat remnants of ousted President Bashar Assad’s military, as well as pledge to reject hate speech and also work to prevent sectarian divisions.

Implementation is set to be completed by the end of this year.

The SDF was not involved in the rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December. However, it remains the most powerful non-governmental force in Syria and controls strategic territories in the northeast and most of the oil fields in Syria. The US-backed group played a key role in the fight against Islamic State.

The agreement follows an outbreak of violence between government forces and pro-Assad militias in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartous, where more than 1,000 civilians – including members of the Alawite minority – were killed last week.

Analysts described the deal as a political win for al-Sharaa, who is working to consolidate power following the worst sectarian violence since Assad’s ouster.

Natasha Hall of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that al-Sharaa is “playing a strategic game” by securing Kurdish support, particularly given the SDF’s strong ties with the United States and other international actors.

The integration could also help address Turkey’s long-standing concerns over Kurdish autonomy: Ankara considers elements of the SDF as affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization. Turkey has been fighting the SDF with the help of Turkish-backed Syrian militias until recently.