Although the Syrian presidency, headed by Ahmad and al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) came to an agreement in March through American mediation and pressure, the implementation of that agreement is easier said than done. On paper, the agreement pointed to concessions by the SDF in which it would basically merge into the post-Assad Syrian central state. Practically, however, the agreement raised many questions about implementation. For example, would the agreement mean the SDF and its ‘Autonomous Administration’ should cease to exist entirely?
While some progress has been made in the direction suggested by the agreement, such as the withdrawal of most SDF forces from Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo city and the handing of primary responsibility for those neighbourhoods to the new central government, the reality is that within the SDF’s core territories in the north and east of the country, little has changed on a daily basis. The SDF’s ‘Autonomous Administration’- dominated by the PKK-linked ‘Democratic Union Party’ and its armed wing called the People’s Protection Units (YPG)- still holds resources such as oil fields and bearing responsibility for administration in daily life. Moreover, it is plausible that the SDF’s leadership still hopes that the new central government will eventually make a concession on the lines of federalism and de-centralisation. Finally, amid the rumours of a planned U.S. withdrawal, the SDF appears to have been lobbying the Trump administration to reconsider such plans.
It is in this context that one should understood the new statement issued by the Syrian Presidency, expressing concern regarding the SDF and progress on the March agreement. The most notable points of the statement:
- Reaffirmation of the unity of Syrian territory and rejection of any notions of federalism.
- Criticism of the SDF for continuing to control resources in areas under its control, not allowing Syrian central state institutions to replace the institutions of the ‘Autonomous Administration’, and continuing to maintain the status quo of a system where authority has been monopolised by the SDF and its dominant political party and armed wing, to the exclusion of those opposed to and critical of the SDF.
- Rejecting the need for foreign intervention or ‘guardianship’ in the north and east of the country: i.e. criticising the SDF for continuing to hope that American troops will stay and essentially guarantee its security and existence.
The statement also notably affirms the rights of Kurds as equal citizens before the law along with other components of Syrian society. Such a vision for a Syrian state is of course antithetical to the jihadist conception of a state in which identity is based on Islam and Muslims enjoy greater rights and privileges over other components of society.
Below is the statement translated.
Statement regarding the developments on the agreement with the ‘SDF’ leadership
The recent agreement between Mr. President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the ‘SDF’ leadership represented a positive step towards de-escalation and opening up to a comprehensive national solution, but the activities and statements recently issued by the ‘SDF’ leadership, which call for federalism and consecrate a separate reality on the ground, clearly conflict with the content of the agreement and threaten the country’s unity and safety of its soil.
Therefore, we affirm:
The agreement is a constructive step if it is implemented with a unifying patriotic spirit, far-removed from particularist or exclusionary projects.
We clearly reject any attempts to impose a partitionist reality or establish separate entities under the names of federalism or autonomous administration without comprehensive national consensus agreement.
The unity of Syria’s land and people is a red line, and any overstepping of this line is to be considered leaving the national rank and violation of Syria’s unifying identity.
We express our grave concern about the actions that point to dangerous orientations in the direction of demographic change in some areas, threatening the Syrian social fabric and undermining opportunities for comprehensive national solution.
We warn against impeding the work of Syrian state institutions in the areas controlled by the ‘SDF’, restricting citizens from accessing its services, hoarding national resources and using them outside the state’s framework, contributing to the deepening of division and threatening of national sovereignty.
The SDF leadership cannot monopolise decision-making in the northeast Syria region, where indigenous components like Arabs, Kurds, Christians and others live together. Thus, taking away the decision-making of any component and hoarding its representation are to be rejected. For there is no stability or future without true partnership and just representation of all components.
We affirm that the rights of our Kurdish brothers, like all the Syrian people’s components, are guaranteed and protected in the framework of one Syrian state, based on comprehensive citizenship and equality before the law, without the need for any external intervention or foreign guardianship.
We call on the agreement’s partners, principally the ‘SDF’, to honestly comply with the contracted agreement and give priority to the supreme national interest over any narrow-minded or external considerations.
In conclusion, we renew our firm position that the solution in Syria can only be Syrian, national and comprehensive, based on the people’s will, and preserving the country’s unity and sovereignty, and any form of external guardianship or hegemony is rejected.
