Speaking at a press conference in Damascus, SDF leader Mazlum Abdi announced that the group would be dissolved and fully integrated into Syrian state institutions. In remarks delivered Tuesday at the People's Palace in the Syrian capital, Abdi said the step would mark the beginning of a new era for the country.
Abdi said the integration would bring an important chapter in Syria's history to a close. He said the country needed to move from armed conflict to reconstruction and from an era of weapons to an era of peace, adding that the process would begin a period of peace, stability and reconstruction.
The right to education in Kurdish will be preserved
Abdi said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had announced in various statements that the right to education in Kurdish would be preserved. Abdi said they had seen a more open approach on the issue and noted that they expected the decision to be developed further in the future.
In mid-January, al-Sharaa issued a decree guaranteeing the rights of Kurds and some of their distinctive characteristics in the country. The decree stated that Syrian Kurdish citizens were an integral and fundamental part of the Syrian people. It also listed the cultural and linguistic identities of Kurds among the integral elements of Syria's multicultural and united national identity.
The decree also called on Kurds to participate actively in building the country and to protect its security and unity. The text called for the rejection of positions contrary to these principles.
Framework of the March 10, 2025 agreement
The SDF and the Syrian government signed an agreement on March 10, 2025, providing for the integration of civilian and military institutions in the northeastern regions into the state administration. The SDF had previously refrained from implementing the provisions of the agreement.
The agreement also included the reopening of border crossings, an airport, and oil and natural gas fields in the region. While emphasizing the territorial integrity of Syria, the text provided for SDF forces to withdraw from Aleppo to areas east of the Euphrates River.
The Syrian government has been working to strengthen security and stability in the country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government on December 8, 2024.
