DAANES delegation expects SDF integration deal in early 2026

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Negotiations to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s national military structure are expected to reach a breakthrough in early 2026, a spokesperson for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) delegation to Damascus said on Friday.

In an interview with Rudaw, Mariam Ibrahim said that while diplomatic relations between DAANES and Syria’s transitional government remain “a bit weak,” both sides are prioritizing resolving the military file.

Although the end-of-year timeframe outlined in the March 10 agreement between SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president has passed without a final deal, Ibrahim said progress is close. The agreement aims to integrate the SDF and institutions in northeast Syria (Rojava) into state structures in Damascus.

“No timeframe has been determined, but there is hope it will be done in the coming days,” she said. “Although the time has not been specified, we predict it will be done in the early days of 2026.”

Ibrahim said a high-level meeting between Abdi and senior officials in Damascus is expected within the next 10 days. A similar meeting scheduled for late December was postponed for “technical reasons” amid renewed clashes in Aleppo between Damascus-affiliated forces and SDF-linked Asayish units in the city’s two Kurdish neighborhoods. At least two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured in the fighting.

She said the military file remains the core focus of the negotiations.

“Importance is given to the military file. Before everything else, agreement will be made on the military points,” Ibrahim said.

Under the proposed framework, the SDF would become a component of the Syrian national army while maintaining its local presence in Rojava. Addressing the possibility of deployment of Damascus forces in the region, Ibrahim said the issue has not been discussed.

“SDF remains in North and East Syria, and Damascus forces do not go there, because SDF fundamentally becomes a component of the Syrian army and represents the army there,” she said.

A key point of contention remains the form of integration. Damascus favors absorbing SDF fighters individually into existing army units, while the SDF insists on remaining as a unified force in its current areas.

Ibrahim said the SDF is expected to integrate into the Syrian army as three distinct military formations, including a separate brigade for the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), a core element of the force.

“We are trying to integrate women into the Syrian army as well, but for now they preserve their own military system in the North and East,” she said.

On governance, Ibrahim said DAANES has emphasized that it is not seeking separation.

“We showed that we are not separatists and we do not want to create a separate government, but rather we want to be integrated with the Damascus government so that this becomes the foundation for building a democratic and decentralized Syria in which all peoples participate,” she said.

She added that Damascus has recently shown more “flexibility,” claiming that officials are increasingly recognizing that “the centralized system deepens the problems.”

Calls for decentralization have been echoed by Syria’s Kurdish, Alawite, and Druze communities, who cite decades of repression and marginalization under the former Assad-led Baath regime.

Ibrahim said regional interference has previously slowed progress. Turkey’s defense ministry said Wednesday that SDF demands for federalism and decentralization threaten Syria’s territorial integrity, warning Ankara would support any move by Damascus to preserve it.

Turkey, a key regional backer of the new Syrian government, has repeatedly accused the SDF of delaying integration, while the SDF says it is ready to implement the agreement but that the process requires time.

Ibrahim said Ankara’s tone has recently softened.

“We see that Turkey has recently taken a somewhat softer position, and there are relations between the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Turkish state,” she said, expressing hope Turkey would play a “positive role” in the agreement’s success.

She added that talks are moving forward “with American guarantee” to finalize the military file. The SDF has been the main on-the-ground ally of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. Damascus joined the coalition in November.

Turkey has long viewed the core of the SDF, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Ibrahim said DAANES is approaching negotiations through two tracks: a “central delegation” composed of Arabs, Kurds, and Syriacs focused on integration, and a “specialized Kurdish delegation” tasked with securing constitutional guarantees and rights for Kurds.

While the specialized Kurdish delegation has yet to hold formal talks with Damascus, she said, the central delegation “is ready to start work whenever an appointment is set.”


Sima Abxizir contributed to this report from Erbil.