Syrian Leader Pursues Integration of SDF within State Institutions
“The state has not demanded the dismantling of SDF, but has instead called for integrating its forces within state institutions,” al-Sharaa said in excerpts from a televised interview aired Wednesday.
He cautioned that rebuilding confidence would take time, arguing that the group’s conduct during Syria’s uprising complicated relations. “Trust cannot be built overnight,” he said.
Al-Sharaa accused the SDF of maintaining ties with Damascus during the conflict, saying “the SDF did not confront the former government for over 14 years of conflict and maintained direct contacts with it,” while Kurdish participation in the uprising occurred on an individual basis rather than through the SDF as an organization.
He also criticized the group’s territorial moves during the war, stating that “SDF advances during the liberation phase into areas including Deir ez-Zor and parts of Aleppo hindered the liberation process itself, not the former government.”
According to the president, negotiations and proposals were shared transparently with global stakeholders. “All state proposals were presented with broad international awareness, including by the US, the UN, and key regional and European states,” he said.
Al-Sharaa said the SDF declined political engagement despite being welcome to participate. “The SDF chose not to take part in the national conference, government formation, or constitutional declaration,” he said.
He added that “the state granted the group nine months to build trust,” stressing that outreach efforts were made without any attempt at exclusion.
Turning to security arrangements in Aleppo, al-Sharaa said “the SDF failed to abide by the April 1, 2025 agreement calling for the withdrawal of SDF from Sheikh Maqsoud,” under which only a limited Interior Ministry presence and local residents would oversee security and services due to the area’s social composition.
“The SDF announced at the time that the withdrawal had been completed,” he said.
Roughly two months later, fighting flared again, with shelling hitting civilian neighborhoods, al-Sharaa said, including Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid—districts inhabited by Arabs, Kurds, and Christians.
He said “shells landed in markets and civilian districts, directly undermining security across Aleppo.”
The renewed violence, al-Sharaa warned, has stalled efforts to position Aleppo as a major economic center despite its industrial capacity, agricultural base, and strategic role in regional trade.
“The state cannot attract global investment while shells are fired from a residential neighborhood every few months,” he said, adding that safeguarding Aleppo’s stability is a non-negotiable national priority.
In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced a framework for integrating the SDF into state institutions, reaffirming Syria’s territorial unity and rejecting partition.
A separate agreement signed in April 2025 addressed the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, confirming their administrative status within Aleppo while recognizing their local characteristics. The deal barred armed displays, limited weapons to internal security forces, and required the SDF to withdraw east of the Euphrates River.
Syrian authorities say the SDF has not honored those commitments.
Syrian media report that the Syrian Army has recently sent additional reinforcements to Aleppo’s eastern countryside amid rising tensions with the YPG/SDF terrorist organization and remnants of the former regime.
The government has stepped up nationwide security operations since the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending his 24-year rule.
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