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.