Syrian Kurds announce completion of civil, military integration with Damascus

Syrian Kurds Complete Full Integration of Civil and Military Structures with Damascus

The integration of the Kurdish administration within Syria’s state institutions is now complete, Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said on Thursday, marking the end of the Kurds’ long-held dream of autonomy.

This declaration follows months of dialogue after a January accord demanding that Kurdish civil and military bodies be fully merged into the Syrian state—a development Washington described as historic.

“I want to say that the phase of integrating military, security and administrative institutions into national state institutions is complete and finished,” Abdi, head of the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces, announced at an event in Qamishli, northeastern Syria.

“From this point onward, we enter a new stage,” he added.

“Our struggle will continue to secure lasting rights for the Kurdish people within constitutional frameworks.”

Signed in January by Aziz Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, this accord came amid fierce clashes where Kurdish fighters lost extensive territories in the oil‑rich north and northeast. The presidential decree issued on Jan 16 enshrined Kurdish national rights and recognized Kurdish as an official language—an exceptional step since Syria’s 1946 independence.

In February, Noureddine Ahmed Eissa, a Kurd from Qamishli, was appointed governor of Hasakah. In March, senior Kurdish military official Sipan Hamo became the regional assistant defence minister.

As part of the deal’s implementation, government forces secured the cities of Hasakeh and Qamishli, while Damascus assumed oversight of Qamishli airport and key oil fields.

US troops also moved over 5,700 Islamic State detainees previously held in Kurdish‑controlled camps to neighbouring Iraq.

Washington served as the primary backer of the SDF during its campaign against IS, but shifted support toward the US‑friendly authorities that emerged after Bashar al‑Assad’s 2024 transition.

– ‘Bitter end’ –

Absent any technical alteration, the following discussion retains its original wording:

Abdi did not detail how the SDF and Kurdish security forces were woven into the Syrian state apparatus, despite months of negotiation.

The SDF was established in 2015 at the urging of the United States, inspired by Kurdish fighters who previously expelled the Islamic State from Kobane in the north. After a four‑month battle, the Kurds seized their hometown, prompting Washington to seek a reliable ally in the anti‑ISIS effort.

At its peak, the force amassed roughly 100,000 fighters, blending Kurds and Arabs.

However, internal divisions led Arab members to defect once Sharaa’s army took over neighboring provinces such as Raqa and Deir Ezzor, reducing the unit’s manpower dramatically, according to Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche.

Prior to this agreement, Kurds endured repeated repressions: bans on teaching their language, observing holidays, and practicing cultural traditions.

Twenty percent of Syria’s Kurdish population—approximately 15 % of the total citizen base—lost their citizenship in 1962 following a controversial census.

Even though the new Damascus administration grants the community greater legal privileges, the deep consolidation effectively fulfills the Kurds’ long‑standing aspiration for self‑governance.

“Dissolving the SDF is a bitter ultimate outcome,” noted Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington‑based analyst specializing in Kurdish affairs. “A military force that proved so effective in defeating ISIS and earned admiration worldwide, sadly, now ceases to exist.”

[str-mam-/lar-nad/gv]

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