Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, confirmed that the process of integrating the institutions of the Autonomous Administration and its affiliated security forces into the structure of the Syrian state “has already begun.” He stressed the need to preserve the positions of Internal Security Forces, Asayish, personnel and their directors within the framework of the Syrian Ministry of Interior, in line with a previous agreement with the Syrian government.
Abdi made the remarks during a meeting of the Hasakah Notables Council, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration, in al-Hasakah province in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, February 17. He addressed the administrative and military integration track between the two sides and the ongoing understandings aimed at consolidating the agreement signed between them last January.
He also announced the formation of a high-level leadership committee to oversee the integration process. While acknowledging the presence of obstacles, he said that “the slogan is to accelerate integration to confront incitement, hate speech, and attempts to derail the process.”
Security and administrative integration
Abdi said the integration file “may take some time,” but that both sides are “confident of its success.” He explained that security forces arriving from Damascus are working to complete the necessary procedures, alongside the formation of a joint committee composed of leaders from both parties to oversee the process in the coming period.
He added that “it is necessary for security personnel and their directors, referring to the SDF-affiliated Asayish, to maintain their positions within the structure of the Syrian Ministry of Interior,” noting that this step has already begun on the ground, indicating a gradual transfer of powers within the framework of state institutions.
On the administrative level, Abdi said that the institutions of the Autonomous Administration, which have been in place for more than 12 years, will be merged into the structure of the Syrian state, while retaining their directors and members during the transitional phase. He considered this a guarantee for institutional continuity and a way to avoid any administrative vacuum in northeastern Syria.
Special status for Kurdish-majority areas
Abdi addressed what he described as the “specificity of Kurdish areas,” explaining that the January agreement stipulates that “the people of the area will administer their own region” in Kurdish-majority areas, within the framework of the Syrian state.
He noted that this specificity is not limited to the Kurdish component but also includes the Syriac Assyrian component in its towns and villages, referring to an approach based on expanded local administration within a centralized state structure.
He added that administrative and institutional integration “does not concern only the Kurdish component,” but includes all institutions of the Autonomous Administration, while emphasizing that preserving specificity in certain areas comes within the context of the agreement reached between the two sides.
Military integration under the Ministry of Defense
On the military front, Abdi confirmed that the two sides agreed to integrate SDF forces into brigades under the Syrian Ministry of Defense, while “ensuring the preservation of all fighters who participated in confronting terrorism and made sacrifices,” as he put it.
He pointed to an “issue” related to the appointment of a deputy defense minister in Damascus, adding that work is ongoing to announce this officially, without providing further details on the nature or timing of the dispute.
Abdi also revealed that he held meetings with the Syrian foreign minister and the head of General Intelligence, during which they agreed to accelerate the integration process and form two leadership-level committees from both sides. The committees are expected to hold meetings soon to follow up on implementation.
Rejecting hate speech
On the societal level, Abdi said that in recent periods there has been “inciting and hateful rhetoric” in some areas, describing this as “strange” to the Jazira region and Aleppo and other areas that have long experienced coexistence without major issues.
He added that the current phase requires focusing on the future and working toward it, without allowing an atmosphere of frustration or negative attitudes to take hold amid the ongoing transformations.
He affirmed that countries concerned with the Syrian file are “interested in implementing the agreement aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and declaring a permanent truce,” referring to broader understandings related to post-conflict arrangements following recent military confrontations.
January agreement between Damascus and SDF
Abdi’s statements come within the context of an agreement reached last January between the Syrian government and SDF, following rounds of negotiations that coincided with field changes in northeastern Syria.
According to what was announced at the time, the agreement included several key provisions:
- Consolidating the ceasefire and declaring a permanent truce between the two sides.
- Integrating SDF military forces into the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
- Restructuring security forces within the framework of the Ministry of Interior.
- Merging civil and service institutions affiliated with the Autonomous Administration into state institutions, while preserving the specificity of certain areas.
- Forming joint committees to follow up on implementation at both administrative and military levels.
The agreement came after military escalation in several areas of Raqqa and the countryside of al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, which ended with the Syrian army taking control of large areas. SDF presence subsequently became limited to parts of al-Hasakah province and to Ain al-Arab/Kobani and its nearby countryside.
An open transitional phase
Despite the announcement that implementation of the agreement has begun, the details and mechanisms of integration remain under review by the joint committees, amid questions about the timeline for full implementation and the nature of the powers to be granted to local administrations in areas with special status.
Abdi’s remarks reflect a direction toward consolidating existing cadres within the structure of the state, including security and administrative leadership, in an attempt to ensure a smooth transition. At the same time, restructuring military forces remains one of the most significant challenges, given its sensitivity and organizational complexity.
As attention turns to the anticipated implementation steps, the success of the agreement will depend on the ability of both sides to overcome technical and political obstacles and translate declared understandings into clear administrative and military decisions that ensure stability in the region and prevent a return to tensions.
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