ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over 20,000 employees in northeast Syria (Rojava) have been integrated into Damascus' state structure, a senior member of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's team overseeing the integration process told Rudaw on Wednesday, further pointing to efforts to reopen key border crossings between Rojava, the Kurdistan Region and Turkey.
"The integration process is ongoing. It is happening, and employees [in Rojava] are being transferred into the state system," said Ahmad al-Hilali, who also serves as deputy governor of the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province, speaking to Rudaw's Solin Mohammedamin on the sidelines of the 64th Damascus International Fair.
Hilali further noted the completion of integration of 4,000 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), adding that they have been on the government's payroll for the past three months.
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi on Tuesday announced the disbanding of the force, declaring its mission complete. The announcement pertained to the landmark January 29 Agreement between Damascus and the SDF to integrate Rojava's civil and military institutions.
Under the accord, border crossings previously administered by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), which governs Rojava, were handed over to the Syrian state and incorporated into the national customs system.
Hilali on Wednesday pointed to "very good steps [that] have been taken" toward formalizing the Semalka border crossing between Rojava and the Kurdistan Region.
Semalka, known as Fishkhabur on the Iraqi side, is a critical transit point established in 2012-2013 that has served as the primary artery for civilian travel, medical evacuations, trade, and humanitarian aid into Rojava.
Hilali explained that formalizing the Semalka crossing is linked to the opening of a Syrian consulate in Erbil - "a step currently being studied by the Syrian foreign ministry," he said.
"When the consulate opens, the status of the Semalka crossing between us and the Kurdistan Region will certainly improve," he added.
The deputy governor of Hasaka further pointed to ongoing efforts to reopen the Nusaybin border crossing between Rojava and Turkey, which has been closed since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Hilali attributed the delay in inauguration to the old structure being “too small. Now there is a larger area that engineers are studying. I expect it to be completed by the new year," he said.
Finally, Hilali also addressed the integration of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) - the all-women wing of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the SDF's backbone force.
"They have met with the interior minister and are in the process of agreeing that they will become part of the internal security forces, organized in accordance with the needs of the interior ministry," he said.
The YPJ on Thursday confirmed the meeting with a ministry delegation, saying the two sides had discussed "the future of cooperation and coordination between them."
"It was emphasized that the YPJ could be integrated, as a distinct and organized force, into the structure of the Ministry of Interior," the force said in a statement.
Following is the full transcript of the interview with Ahmad al-Hilali, deputy Hasaka governor and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s team overseeing the integration process.
Rudaw: What is the latest on the integration process?
Ahmed al-Hilali: This event has been organized against the backdrop of the announcement of the [dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces and their] integration declared by [SDF Chief] Mazloum Abdi on Tuesday, whereby the SDF and the [Democratic] Autonomous Administration [of North and East Syria, DAANES] have become part of this state. The integration process is ongoing. It is happening, and employees [in Rojava] are being transferred into the state system.
There are 4,000 employees in Aleppo, in Shahba, Sheikh Maqsoud, and Ashrafiyeh — what is their fate? Have they not received their salaries yet?
There are many more, not just 4,000. There are currently 4,000 SDF fighters who have been receiving salaries from the Syrian Defense Ministry for three months. And there are far more than that - over 20,000 employees have been integrated. This process will not stop, but our method differs; depending on the ministries and executive offices in the provinces, whether Hasaka or Aleppo, the approach varies. God willing, this problem will be resolved.
When will the Nusaybin crossing open and what preparations have been made?
Work is ongoing. The problem is engineering-related. The old site was too small, and now there is a larger area that engineers are studying. I expect it to be completed by the new year.
What about Qamishli Airport?
Qamishli Airport will become an international airport within one more month. The Civil Aviation Authority has announced that more than 80 percent of the airport's work has been completed.
Are you considering making the Semalka crossing an official crossing?
Very good steps have been taken in this regard as well. There is also the matter of the consulate in the Kurdistan Region, which is currently being studied by the Syrian Foreign Ministry. When the consulate opens, the status of the Semalka crossing between us and the Kurdistan Region will certainly improve.
What is the fate of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ)? Has it been decided that they will join the Interior Ministry?
We are working on this. They have met with the interior minister and are in the process of agreeing that they will become part of the internal security forces, organized in accordance with the needs of the Interior Ministry.
