Media: Syrian Democratic Forces to join new Syrian army in historic agreement

On February 18, 2025, a key tripartite meeting between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria led to a significant agreement about the country's future governance and military structure.

According to Al Arabiya, the meeting resulted in a mutual decision for the SDF forces to integrate into the new Syrian army, with the return of government institutions under the control of the Autonomous Administration in the northeast, as per Caliber.Az.

The gathering also called on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to visit the region, fostering increased coordination between the sides and working towards the return of displaced individuals from camps to their respective cities, regions, and villages.

A joint statement from the three groups emphasized that the outcomes from the meeting represent an internal vision for Syria's future. They also outlined that the framework serves as the basis for starting formal negotiations with the Syrian government. These negotiations will proceed according to agreed-upon mechanisms between both sides.

This agreement comes after criticism from the SDF, SDC, and the Autonomous Administration regarding the Preparatory Committee for the Syrian National Dialogue, which they believed failed to adequately represent Syria’s diverse groups. The groups made it clear that they would not recognize or abide by any conference or dialogue outcomes in which they were not directly involved.

Furthermore, the new Syrian Ministry of Defence has initiated efforts to integrate all armed factions across the country into a unified national army. This follows plans to dissolve the previous military structure tied to the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. The ministry has warned that any remaining independent factions will be considered illegal.

The SDF has stated that it will not relinquish its weapons until the structure of Syria’s new government is fully determined, including the drafting of a new constitution and the results of the anticipated negotiations.

Syrian President Al-Sharaa has repeatedly confirmed that negotiations with the SDF are ongoing but acknowledged that they may take considerable time to conclude.

By Tamilla Hasanova