The United States has expressed its endorsement for Syria’s recent agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the country’s state institutions. This move comes after the Syrian presidency and the US-backed SDF announced a deal granting full control of a semi-autonomous region to the Syrian central government since 2015.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated on Tuesday that the United States supports a political transition that promotes credible non-sectarian governance as the best path to preventing further conflict. The statement added that the US will closely monitor the decisions made by the interim authorities, expressing concern about the recent violence against minorities in the region.
The agreement between the interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi includes the merging of all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the national administration. It covers various assets such as an airport and oil and gas fields. This agreement is considered one of the most significant political developments in the country since the fall of the long-time President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The development comes at a critical time for Damascus, which is dealing with the aftermath of violence within the Alawite minority. The deal includes a ceasefire across Syria and SDF support in combating pro-Assad fighters. It also reaffirms that the Kurdish people are integral to Syria and have the right to citizenship and guaranteed constitutional rights.
While discussions have been ongoing since the fall of al-Assad about integrating the SDF into the Syrian state, the talks were hindered by concerns that the group was not as committed to opposing the deposed regime as other opposition forces. The US partnership with the SDF in the fight against the ISIL armed group, along with their support for the SDF, has strained relations with Turkiye. Turkiye views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdish nationalist Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/12/uss-rubio-hails-syria-deal-with-kurds-calls-for-non-sectarian-governance?traffic_source=rss
