Syria announces deal with SDF on phased integration of Hasakah; implementation to begin tonight
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Summary
A Syrian government representative said a 'common understanding' with the Syrian Democratic Forces will give the SDF four days to draft integration mechanisms for the Hasakah governorate, with implementation starting at 8:00 p.m. Damascus time; the government said it will not enter certain city centers and will use local forces in Kurdish-majority towns.
A Syrian government representative announced that a "common understanding" has been reached with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the future of Hasakah governorate and that steps to implement it will begin tonight.
The representative said the SDF will have a four-day internal consultation period to develop a detailed plan for "practical mechanisms for integrating the area." He added: "In the event of the agreement on that plan, the Syrian forces will not enter the city centers of Hasakah and Qamishli and will remain on their outskirts until the detailed plan is finalized and a time frame has been put for the full integration of those areas." He also said the implementation of the understanding "will begin at 8PM tonight, Damascus time."
The announcement included political provisions: the representative said General Muslim would nominate a candidate from the SDF for the position of deputy minister of defense and would propose a governor of Hasakah and names for representation to the people’s assembly and other state institutions. On security, he said SDF military and security forces "will [be] integrated into the ministries of defense and the ministry of interior" while civil institutions from those areas would be integrated into state structures.
The government cited Decree Number 13 — described in the briefing as a decree concerning the linguistic, cultural and citizenship rights of Syrian Kurds — and said it will be implemented quickly as part of a broader effort "to build a unified and strong Syria based on the premise of national partnership and guaranteeing rights of all Syrian society." The representative framed the measures as steps to acknowledge Kurdish suffering under the previous regime and to ensure inclusion, noting the recent graduation of Kurdish recruits from security services in Afrin.
The representative placed the agreement in recent context, saying earlier accords with the SDF had not been fully implemented and that delays had contributed to instability in parts of Syria. He described prior operations — including actions in Aleppo and Sheikh Maqsood — as "surgical" and said humanitarian corridors and UN and humanitarian access were used to reduce civilian harm.
The representative did not provide a detailed timetable beyond the four-day consultation window and the stated 8 p.m. start time. He said work on detailed integration mechanisms would continue and that the government was working with international partners, including the United States, to support the arrangement.
Next steps: the representative said the SDF’s four-day consultation period would produce a plan that, if agreed, would trigger phased integration and political nominations; he and his team said they expected further talks and cooperation with international partners to support implementation.