Syria signs deal to merge SDF into state institutions 

Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and the Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi yesterday signed an agreement to “merge” all civil and military institutions affiliated with the Kurdish autonomous administration into the framework of the Syrian state, according to the presidency.

The announcement of the agreement, which is set to be implemented by the end of the year, comes as violence on Syria’s coast left more than 1,000 civilians dead, the overwhelming majority of whom were Alawites.

The Syrian presidency issued a statement signed by the two parties yesterday, stating that they agreed to “integrate all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields.”

The agreement also stipulated “supporting the Syrian state in its fight against the remnants of Assad and all threats to its security and unity.”

It stressed that “the Kurdish people are integral to Syria and have a right to citizenship and guaranteed constitutional rights,” while “rejecting calls for division, hate speech, and attempts to spread discord among all components of Syrian society.”

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According to the agreement, executive committees must work to implement it no later than by the end of this year.

The US-backed Kurdish autonomous administration controls large areas in northern and eastern Syria, including the most prominent oil and gas fields. Its military branch, the SDF, acted as the spearhead in the fight against Daesh and managed to defeat it from its last strongholds in the country in 2019.

The agreement’s signing comes about two weeks after the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, called, in a historic announcement, to dissolve the party and lay down its arms, in a move welcomed by the Kurds of Syria.

Turkiye, an ally of the new authority in Damascus, accused the Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG), a primary component of the SDF, of being linked to the PKK, which Ankara and Western parties classify as a terrorist organisation.