Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi signed a milestone agreement on Monday to integrate the SDF into the Syrian state’s institutions.
The deal recognizes the Kurds as an integral part of Syrian society and includes a ceasefire across the country, as well as the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns. It is set to be implemented “no later than the end of the year,” according to the Syrian Presidency.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal on Tuesday as a step toward “preserving civil peace.”
“The Kingdom reaffirms its full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria,” the Saudi foreign ministry’s statement read.
Similarly, Qatar’s foreign ministry welcomed the agreement, calling it “an important step” for the stability of Syria and stressing that the country requires “a unified army that represents all Syrian components.”
Kurdish political parties in the Kurdistan Region also responded positively to the deal.
Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), hailed the deal as an “important and positive step toward strengthening coexistence and partnership in the new Syria.” He described it as a move in the right direction, paving the way for political and security stability.
“As always, I fully support the efforts of my brother, Mazloum Abdi, to promote peace and stability in the region,” Talabani stated.
Hoshyar Zebari, a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), lauded the “historic” agreement, calling it “an important step toward shaping Syria’s future.”
“The SDF will remain and will gradually integrate, and the possibility of self-administration in Rojava has become viable through negotiations and joint committees,” Zebari said on X.
Salahaddin Bahaaddin, leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), also welcomed the agreement, describing it as significant “both in its timing and its content.” He noted that it followed intense clashes between the state and remnants of the former regime, which had raised the possibility of chaos and conflict between ethnic and religious groups.
Bahaadin called the deal a move in the “right direction” and expressed hope that it would secure “the rights and coexistence of all components in the new Syria.”
Abdi welcomed the deal on Tuesday, stressing that the Kurdish-led force considers the agreement “a real opportunity to build a new Syria that embraces its components and guarantees a good neighborhood.”
The SDF’s political wing - the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) - also hailed the agreement but again called for decentralization, despite the Damascus authorities' vehement condemnation of the concept.
“Syria is for all Syrians. It should be a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized state, one that honors the sacrifices made by its people,” the SDC affirmed.
Farhad Shami, SDF spokesperson, said in a leaked voice recording, which Rudaw English could not independently verify, hours after the agreement that the deal is "preliminary," adding that "it was definitely done with the American mediation."
"There is no such thing as the deployment of [Damascus-affiliated] forces to Hasaka. There are no changes [in this regard]," he added, noting that some of these forces could be deployed to areas bordering Turkey.
Seven or eight committees will be formed to discuss prisons, oil, and other topics, and the discussions could last as long as next year, according to Shami.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Sharaa - on December 8 toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime. Sharaa was in late January appointed as Syria’s interim President.
After his appointment, Sharaa vowed to uphold the rights of all ethnic and religious groups. However, the international community has repeatedly censured the new Damascus leadership for its treatment of Syria’s minority groups.