Syria-Kurdish Deal: What Benefits Could Both Sides Gain?
The Syrian presidency announced on Monday an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast into the national government, AFP reported on Tuesday.
What are the key provisions of the agreement? And what gains could both sides achieve if it is implemented by the end of the year?
The presidency published a statement on Monday signed by both parties laying out the agreement on 'the integration of all the civilian and military institutions of the northeast of Syria within the administration of the Syrian state, including border posts, the airport, and the oil and gas fields.'
The agreement makes no mention of dissolving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed military arm of the Kurdish self-administration in northeastern Syria, or handing over its weapons, contrary to previous Syrian government demands for integration into the new national army.
The agreement includes recognition of the Kurdish component, which has long faced marginalization and exclusion under the Assad regime, as an 'indigenous community within the Syrian state.'
It also guarantees 'the rights of all Syrians to representation and participation in political life and all state institutions,' while rejecting calls for division and hate speech.
The agreement, consisting of eight points, serves as a 'roadmap' that joint committees are expected to discuss and develop implementation mechanisms for, with a deadline set for the end of the year.
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi described the deal as a 'historic opportunity' to build a new Syria, as celebrations erupted in several cities across the country.
Under the agreement, the Kurds commit to 'supporting the Syrian state in its fight against Assad's remnants and all threats to its security and unity,' implicitly referring to violence in Syria's coastal region.
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