SDF Factions: Uncertain Scenarios in Complex Relations with Damascus

Asharq Al-Awsat

14-02-2025

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pose the main challenge to Syria's new administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, as it seeks to move past the conflict and rebuild the state.
While efforts focus on forming a unified army under state control, most factions have agreed to join the Defense Ministry. However, the SDF insists on keeping its independent military structure and refuses to disband or integrate its fighters individually. Instead, it wants to remain a single unit within the new army.
This stance contradicts the administration's position, which rejects any military force outside the new national army.
Syrian Administration's Stance on the SDF
The new Syrian administration has repeatedly emphasized that negotiations remain its primary approach to resolving its dispute with the SDF, with several rounds of talks held in recent months.
Syrian government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that 'negotiations are still the main option, and preparations are underway for new rounds in an effort to reach a comprehensive solution that eliminates any risk of future conflict.'
They added that the government's policy is based on 'unifying the country and preventing any military factions from operating outside the Defense Ministry's authority.'
The sources also stressed that 'the Kurdish issue is an internal Syrian matter and should not rely on external actors for a resolution.
Competing Agendas
Khaled al-Shuayti, one of the few Arab military commanders within the SDF in Deir Ezzor, said Arab tribes involved in the SDF through alliances and fighters 'will not engage in a confrontation with the new Syrian state.'
Given the geography in which the SDF operates, it has forged alliances with local Arab communities and tribes in surrounding areas. Arab fighters number around 2,000 or slightly more, but they have little influence over the SDF's internal and external policies.
'If the Kurdish leadership insists on pursuing non-Syrian agendas, Arab fighters will break away from the SDF,' al-Shuayti told Asharq Al-Awsat.
A faction within the SDF, led by Mazloum Abdi, supports talks with Damascus but faces opposition from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leadership, which refuses to disarm before securing key demands.
These include keeping the SDF as a single unit within Syria's Defense Ministry and granting Kurds some form of autonomy.
Abdi, born Ferhad Abdi Sahin in Ain al-Arab (Kobani) in 1967, fought alongside the PKK and is a close associate of its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan. He helped establish the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which later became the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Abdi's push for negotiations with Damascus coincides with expectations that Ocalan may soon call for disarmament and an end to military action.
Al-Shuayti believes Abdi is stalling to ease pressure while securing political gains for Syria's Kurds, including a role in governance and constitutional guarantees.
Researcher Firas Faham from the Abaad Center for Strategic Studies told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new Syrian administration prefers diplomacy with the SDF, using Türkiye's military threats as leverage to push the group into talks with Damascus.
However, the SDF is unlikely to make major decisions until US President Donald Trump clarifies his stance on withdrawing American troops from Syria.
'The SDF wants to retain its military structure within the Syrian army and maintain special administrative control over its territories,' Faham said.
'Damascus, on the other hand, may be open to granting Kurdish local councils some autonomy and recognizing certain cultural rights. But when it comes to military control, the Syrian government remains firm on maintaining a unified command,' he added.
Possible Scenarios
According to Faham, the future of relations between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces hinges largely on whether Trump decides to keep or withdraw American troops from Syria.
The first scenario is a negotiated agreement in which the SDF drops what Damascus considers unrealistic demands, including maintaining its forces as a unified bloc within the Syrian army and abandoning its push for federal autonomy in areas under its control.
The second scenario is military confrontation if the SDF refuses to reach an agreement with Damascus. In this case, Türkiye could intervene alongside the new Syrian army, leading to a likely military defeat for the SDF without securing any gains.
The third scenario is maintaining the status quo, with the SDF retaining control over its forces and continuing to govern areas east of the Euphrates separately from the new Syrian administration. Currently, the SDF operates like a state within a state, with its own military and security forces and territory beyond Damascus' control.
Internal divisions within the SDF further complicate the situation. One faction, led by Abdi, aligns with the West, while another, the Qandil faction—considered the most powerful—maintains close ties with Iran. This faction is dominated by PKK leaders from both Syria and Türkiye.
Faham noted that Iran is strengthening its alliance with the Qandil faction within the SDF, viewing it as a tool to maintain influence in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Kurds within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Kurdish activist Kurdi Ayubi, an Islamist who opposes the nationalist ideology represented by the SDF and who previously fought with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), estimates that only a few hundred Kurds share his views.
He argues that the real power in SDF-controlled areas remains in the hands of the PKK.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ayubi explained that 'cadres' — fighters who initially served with the PKK and later joined the SDF after the Syrian revolution began — became involved in fighting with the start of the battle of Kobani against ISIS.
These cadres come from various nationalities, including Turkish, Syrian, and Iranian Kurds.
'The Syrian cadres work almost openly, as seen with figures like Abdi, Farhad Shami, and Bulat Jan, alongside prominent women leaders such as Ilham Ahmed, who was a key fighter in the PKK,' added Ayubi.
Ayubi said any agreement with the Syrian government would need approval from Qandil, with the final solution depending on the relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and imprisoned PKK leader Ocalan.
He suggested the best approach for Damascus is to follow two paths: one, direct talks with the Qandil faction, and two, engaging with Kurdish tribal leaders in Kobani, Qamishli, and nearby areas.
Ayubi said: 'Qandil wants a normal relationship with Damascus, as long as it remains discreet.'
He added that reaching an agreement with Qandil would allow Damascus to enter the region peacefully.