The Syrian federal government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces launch detainee exchanges and institutional marriage under a landmark contract
[Aleppo] In an advancement that might improve Syria’s political and military future, the Syrian federal government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have actually formally started carrying out a far-flung marriage contract. On Thursday, both celebrations started a collaborated detainee exchange in Aleppo, a considerable advance following the finalizing of a detailed accord on March 10 that requires the complete reintegration of SDF-controlled areas and organizations into the Syrian state.
The offer marks an unusual minute of positioning in between traditionally opposed forces in the nation’s long-running civil war, indicating a shift in technique and unlocking to the possibility of more comprehensive nationwide reconciliation.
According to a declaration launched by the Syrian presidency– of which The Media Line acquired a copy– the contract details the combination of all civil and military organizations in northeastern Syria into the main administration. This consists of border crossings, airports, oil and gas fields, and all regional governance structures formerly run by the SDF’s self-governing administration.
The accord was signed in between Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the leading leader of the SDF. It likewise mandates the development of joint executive committees to supervise application, with a due date set for completion of the existing year.
The presidency highlighted that the contract shows a nationwide agreement, rooted in the shared objective of protecting Syrian territorial stability and declining foreign-imposed partition or federalization.
Especially, the contract devotes substantial attention to the rights of Syria’s Kurdish population– an ethnic minority long marginalized under the Baathist programs. The declaration stated the Kurdish neighborhood “an essential and historical element of the Syrian country,” promising complete citizenship rights, political representation based upon benefit, and security of cultural identity.
It likewise requires an end to dislike speech, sectarian incitement, and all efforts to fracture Syrian society along ethnic or spiritual lines. In this context, the across the country ceasefire specified in the contract is suggested to reinforce trust amongst neighborhoods fractured by over a years of war.
The very first noticeable action in the contract’s execution unfolded in Aleppo, where regional authorities verified the launch of a multiphase detainee exchange. Roughly 240 detainees were switched in between the Interior Security Directorate and the SDF in what authorities referred to as a “prison-cleansing procedure.”
Syrian authorities launched 140 SDF members kept in federal government centers, while the SDF released 100 detainees from its custody. Security and administrative preparations are continuous to assist in the staying stages, with more exchanges and military withdrawals prepared over the coming days.
All celebrations are now joined under one flag, one law, and one country
Aleppo’s security chief, Mohammad Abdel Ghani, verified to The Media Line that the SDF has actually started turning over its positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh communities to Syrian forces. He explained the procedure as “organized, structured, and constant with the nationwide interest,” highlighting that “all celebrations are now joined under one flag, one law, and one country.”
Regardless of the optimism, the contract has actually not lacked difficulties. Regional sources formerly reported stress in between mediators, with some declaring that the SDF hesitated to launch particular prominent detainees required by Damascus.
Execution is continuing on schedule
These reports were flatly rejected by authorities in Aleppo, who explained the reports as “purposeful efforts to thwart the procedure.” A representative from Aleppo’s Directorate of Media informed The Media Line that “application is continuing on schedule,” and associated the false information to unnamed forces opposed to political stability and Syrian unity.
While the identity of these stars stays undefined, observers recommend they might consist of factions within the opposition, external sponsors of separatist jobs, or celebrations with beneficial interests in extending the status quo.
The SDF, whose military foundation is made up mostly of the Kurdish YPG militia, became an effective force throughout the battle versus the Islamic State. With United States support, the SDF developed control over large swaths of northern and eastern Syria, consisting of crucial oil and gas fields. Throughout the civil war, Kurdish political stars developed independent organizations, schools, and civil councils in locations long disregarded by Damascus.
Under the Assad program, Kurds dealt with years of repression. Lots of were rejected citizenship, prohibited from teaching their language, and forbidden from commemorating cultural vacations. The war enabled the neighborhood to assert itself politically for the very first time.
While some Kurdish leaders feared that reintegration into the main federal government may jeopardize their hard-won autonomy, others saw the brand-new Damascus management as a chance. President al-Sharaa’s increase marked a prospective shift far from years of authoritarianism, offering area for renegotiating nationwide identity and political addition.
The contract’s timing is likewise geopolitically considerable. Simply weeks before the finalizing, Abdullah Öcalan, the locked up creator of the Kurdistan Employees’ Celebration (PKK), provided an unmatched require dissolving the company and putting down arms. The statement, hailed by Syrian Kurds as a significant action towards peace, might have led the way for this brand-new chapter.
Ankara, which has actually long implicated the SDF of being a PKK spin-off, has not openly reacted to the contract. Nevertheless, as a close ally of Syria’s brand-new management, Turkey might see this advancement as a method to neutralize what it thinks about a terrorist danger on its southern border without direct conflict.
Still, some experts alert that the Turkish federal government might push Damascus to cut Kurdish impact, even under the banner of state unity.
According to the contract, SDF forces will be totally incorporated into the Syrian Arab Army, and the administration of all formerly self-governing areas will go back to the main federal government. A security center connected with the Ministry of Interior is to be developed in the Kurdish-majority communities of Aleppo, with security checkpoints coming under state control.
Yet the contract does not take apart all regional organizations. Civil services unassociated to security and defense are to stay functional till a long lasting political service is settled.
Observers state the success of this offer might act as a design for reintegration in other fragmented parts of Syria, especially those under foreign-backed militias or self-governing guideline. The roadway ahead doubts, however for now, the Syria-SDF contract stands as one of the most substantial advancements considering that the break out of the dispute over a years earlier.
A significant unidentified in the offer’s application is the function of the United States. While Washington supported the SDF militarily, it continues to enforce broad financial sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act, targeting restoration and monetary deals. In January 2025, the United States Treasury provided General License 24, briefly licensing minimal engagement with Syria’s transitional federal government for humanitarian functions. However the majority of sanctions stay in location, consisting of those impacting energy, banking, and facilities– sectors main to this contract.
On March 25, the United States supposedly supplied Syria with a list of conditions for partial sanctions relief, consisting of proven damage of chemical weapons, omitting foreign fighters from the brand-new federal government, cooperation on counterterrorism, and help in finding missing American reporter Austin Tice. Fulfilling these conditions might lead the way for higher financial engagement, which observers state is crucial for reintegrating the SDF areas and restoring Syria’s ravaged economy.
Yet internal argument in Washington exposes no agreement. While some Republican leaders argue that relieving sanctions legitimizes a program still under suspicion, others– especially amongst Democrats– recommend that conditional engagement might support the area and avoid more radicalization. As the Trump administration weighs its choices, the success of the Syria-SDF contract might depend upon whether the United States wants to adjust its Syria policy to the brand-new political landscape.
Observers alert that failure to attend to sanctions might stall the application of the offer and doom more comprehensive restoration efforts. In the meantime, the contract stands as a vulnerable however unmatched action towards nationwide reconciliation. Whether it causes enduring peace or shows to be another short lived truce stays to be seen.
Steven Ganot added to this report.