Negotiations between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are in a critical phase as a year-end deadline approaches for implementing the March 10 agreement on integration. The deal outlines steps toward folding the SDF into state institutions, including the Syrian army, but progress has remained limited.
According to Reuters talks have accelerated in recent days under American and Turkish pressure to demonstrate movement before the end of the year. Syrian, Kurdish and Western sources told the agency that frustration is growing over delays and that a major breakthrough remains unlikely. The report added that failure to advance could raise the risk of renewed military escalation threatening stability in northern Syria.
According to five sources familiar with the discussions, Damascus proposed reorganizing about 50,000 SDF fighters into three main divisions and smaller brigades. The proposal requires the SDF to relinquish some command structures and allow Syrian army units into areas under SDF control, Reuters reported.
‘Not an End…’
Despite apparent issues, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi sought to counter narratives that the group faces dissolution if the deadline passes. In an interview on the Kurdish Arian platform, Abdi said the end of the year should not be seen as a conclusion for the SDF.
“Some are promoting the end of the SDF by the end of this year because the March 10 agreement ends at the end of the year, but for us, the end of this year is a beginning and not an end,” Abdi said. He added that 2026 would be “a new beginning” and that the coming year would bring steps that “serve our people and prove our presence.” Abdi’s remarks came amid continued uncertainty over whether talks can deliver tangible outcomes before the deadline.
Turkish Position and Unresolved Disputes
Turkey has underscored the urgency of the timeline. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Guler said the deadline for integration expires at the end of the year and that Ankara is prepared for “all scenarios.” Guler stressed that integration must occur on an individual basis within the Syrian army and not as an independent entity or unit.
He said any alternative would not constitute genuine integration, reiterating Turkey’s opposition to any autonomous or semi-autonomous SDF structure in northern and eastern Syria. These statements coincided with renewed regional signaling, including a Syrian Arab Army military parade in Latakia marking the first anniversary of what state media described as the liberation of Syria.
Skepticism over the talks is also evident within SDF leadership. Suzdar Haji, commander-in-chief of the Women’s Protection units and a member of the negotiating team, said discussions with Damascus have not moved beyond dialogue.
Haji told The Amargi, talks “have not achieved any progress” and warned that the deadline is approaching without practical steps. She cited continued sporadic clashes along the Euphrates River as evidence that de-escalation has not taken hold.
She said the core dispute centers on proposals to dissolve the SDF and integrate fighters individually, rather than preserving its structure. She added that any military merger must follow political and institutional reforms that define the future form of governance, stressing that her forces would only join formations based on “democratic” and “representative principles.”
