Damascus: al-Sharaa government and SDF agree technical integration framework
Syria's transitional government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed a technical framework for integrating Kurdish units into the Syrian army, with implementation by year end.
- The Syrian transitional government and the SDF agreed a technical integration framework.
- Kurdish units join the Syrian army while keeping a local command structure.
- The implementation deadline is the end of 2026, with phases every ninety days.
- Brussels welcomed the deal as "a necessary step toward stabilising" Syria.
The transitional government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the command of the Syrian Democratic Forces agreed on Wednesday evening a technical framework for the integration of Kurdish units into the official Syrian army. The deal is the result of forty days of talks held in Damascus and in Hasakeh under US and French mediation.
The agreement, presented at a joint press conference in Damascus, is one of the most important political steps in Syria’s transition since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. For Serbia, which in May activated a diplomatic mission in Damascus at charge d’affaires level, the deal opens space for further talks on rebuilding economic ties and on the return of Syrian refugees from Serbia.
Structural elements of the agreement
The agreement provides for the integration of around sixty thousand members of Kurdish units into the Syrian army, with a local command structure retained in areas with a Kurdish majority. The zone covers the cities of Kobani, Hasakeh and Qamishli, where local mayors will have a say in mid level officer appointments.
The implementation deadline is the end of 2026, with phases every ninety days. In the first phase, running to the end of July, integration covers members who already carry SDF arms in the Hasakeh and Raqqa areas. In the second phase, to the end of October, the units in Deir ez-Zor and Kobani are covered. The third phase, to year end, covers specialised units and the missing logistical assets.
This agreement proves that the new Syria can resolve through political dialogue questions that have stayed open for decades, al-Sharaa said in his Wednesday evening address from the capital.
Response from European institutions
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas welcomed the deal in a statement from Brussels. She called it “a necessary step toward stabilising Syria” and announced that the Commission will consider in the coming weeks a review of the restrictions on Syrian diplomacy.
EU diplomatic activity includes:
- Kallas’s consultations with the French minister for Europe
- talks with the US ambassador in Brussels on trade measures
- preparation of a two hundred million euro aid package for Syrian reconstruction
- consultations with Turkey on the deal’s impact on regional security
- talks with Jordan on questions around refugee camps
US President Donald Trump lifted a large part of the sanctions on Syria in May, opening space for the continuation of the political transition. Washington supported the talks in a technical capacity through its embassy in Damascus, which was reopened in March.
Turkey’s position and regional implications
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday evening that the deal “is in the interest of the entire region” and that Turkey supports the integration of Kurdish units into the Syrian army. Ankara’s stance marks a significant shift, since Turkey for decades regarded the SDF as a terrorist organisation due to its links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Iran, which had a significant military presence in Syria during the Assad era, has issued no official statement. Diplomatic sources in Tehran say Tehran “is monitoring the situation” and could request consultations as part of preparations for a new round of nuclear talks with Washington.
Israel expressed concern through the Foreign Ministry about the integration of Kurdish units, arguing that a new Syrian army could be “exposed to infiltration by Iran’s network”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the issue will be raised in talks with Washington in the days ahead.
Implications for Serbia and the region
Belgrade activated a diplomatic mission in Damascus at charge d’affaires level in May, the first diplomatic step since contacts with the new authorities were restored. The Serbian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday recalling that Serbia “supports the stabilisation of Syria through political dialogue”.
For Serbia, the deal also matters in the context of the return of Syrian refugees in Serbia or in transit to the EU. The Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration recorded two hundred seventeen Syrian nationals in the asylum system in May, most of them from the Hasakeh and Kobani areas, which are now part of the integrated Syrian system.
What comes after the first phase
The first phase of implementation ends on July 31. After that, a joint technical commission with five Syrian government representatives and five SDF representatives issues a progress report. The report is the basis for the decision on moving to the second phase.
The next round of political talks in Damascus is scheduled for mid July, with focus on Kurdish representation in the transitional government. Al-Sharaa announced on Wednesday that the cabinet could be expanded by two new positions by year end, which would open the way for Kurdish politicians to join executive structures.
Will the first phase of integration be completed without interruption by the end of July, or will questions of officer appointments and control over the oil fields in Deir ez-Zor cause the process to stall?
