The United States played a key role in encouraging its Syrian Kurdish allies to reach an agreement with the new Syrian government, according to sources cited by Reuters in its report.
Signed on Monday, the agreement would integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian national government. The deal outlines the eventual incorporation of Kurdish-led military and governing institutions into the Syrian state. However, the specifics of this transition remain undisclosed.
According to the news report, SDF Commander General Mazloum Abdi was transported to Damascus aboard a U.S. military aircraft to sign the agreement with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The U.S. reportedly pushed for the agreement amid uncertainty over the future of its forces in Syria.
The negotiations were reportedly expedited by a recent wave of sectarian violence in Syria.
The report said the agreement is expected to reduce Turkish military threats against the SDF. Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it deems a terrorist organization.
A Syrian government official affirmed that the presidency would address outstanding issues between the SDF and Turkey, though no specific measures were disclosed.
Meanwhile, the recent agreement between Syria and SDF also guarantees constitutional rights for Syria’s Kurdish population, including the freedom to use and teach their language, which was previously restricted under Bashar al-Assad’s rule. It also grants citizenship to stateless Kurds and paves the way for the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals to their homes.
