Syrian Government and Kurdish Forces Seal Historic Deal for Permanent Truce and Integration

Damascus, Syria – In a landmark agreement that could reshape the future of Syria, the Damascus government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced a comprehensive and permanent truce on Friday. The deal not only halts nearly a month of intensified clashes but also establishes a definitive roadmap for the political and military integration of the Kurdish-held northeast into the Syrian state, effectively ending a decade of de-facto autonomy.

The agreement, reached after two weeks of intense U.S.-led mediation, appears to resolve the core, escalating tension over Kurdish self-rule that has persisted since the Syrian civil war began fracturing the country 14 years ago. It represents a strategic victory for President Bashar al-Assad’s long-stated goal of restoring central authority over all Syrian territory, while offering the Kurds guaranteed rights and a structured, negotiated place within the state.

Key Terms of the Agreement:

• Ceasefire & Security: An immediate and permanent truce. Both sides will pull their military forces back from frontlines across northeastern Syria. Syrian state security forces will formally enter and deploy in the key Kurdish cities of Hasakah and Qamishli, the administrative strongholds of the Kurdish authority.

• Military Integration: The SDF, the powerful military wing of the autonomous administration, will be integrated into the Syrian Arab Army. A new military brigade will be formed, incorporating at least three existing SDF brigades. Additional SDF units in the Aleppo region will be placed under direct government military command.

• Civilian Administration: The civilian institutions of the Kurdish autonomous administration—which have governed areas like healthcare, education, and local policing—will be absorbed by the Syrian state. This significantly curtails the scope of Kurdish self-rule, moving the region toward unitary governance from Damascus.

• Guarantees for Kurds: In a critical concession to the Kurdish minority, the deal includes specific provisions for “civil and educational rights for the Kurdish people,” including the right to teach in the Kurdish language, and guarantees for the safe return of displaced persons to their homes.

Context and Implications:

The breakthrough follows a rapid Syrian military offensive, supported by allied Arab tribal fighters, which over recent weeks shrank SDF-controlled territory by approximately 80%. The SDF, opting for strategic withdrawal from Arab-majority areas, was preparing for a costly urban defense of its Kurdish-majority heartland when the deal was finalized.

“This agreement aims to unify the Syrian territories and achieve the full integration process in the region by enhancing cooperation between the concerned parties and unifying efforts to rebuild the country,” stated the official text.

For the Kurds, the deal spells the virtual end of their ambitious autonomous project in northeast Syria, which was born from the chaos of the war and supported at times by U.S. forces in the fight against ISIS. However, it averts a potentially devastating final battle and secures cultural and administrative protections through negotiation rather than surrender.

For Damascus, it marks the most significant step yet in reassembling the country, bringing under its control the quarter of Syria—including its most significant oil fields—that had remained outside its grasp.

International Reaction:

The agreement was hailed by the international mediators who helped broker it. U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, who led a frantic diplomatic shuttle over the past fortnight to prevent all-out war, praised the outcome.

“This carefully negotiated step, building on earlier frameworks and recent efforts to de-escalate tensions, reflects a shared commitment to inclusion, mutual respect and the collective dignity of all Syrian communities,” Barrack said in a statement on X. He called the deal a “profound and historic milestone.”

Diplomatic sources credit sustained pressure and diplomacy from both the United States and France, which maintain channels to both Damascus and the Kurdish leadership, for producing an agreement more favorable to Kurdish interests than earlier, temporary ceasefire proposals.

Looking Ahead:

While the deal establishes a political framework, its successful implementation will be a complex and delicate process, fraught with potential challenges. Integrating tens of thousands of battle-hardened SDF fighters into the national army structure, merging parallel bureaucracies, and ensuring Kurdish rights on the ground will test the commitment of both sides. Nevertheless, Friday’s announcement stands as the most decisive step toward a post-war Syrian order since the defeat of ISIS, closing one of the conflict’s most enduring chapters with a negotiated, if bittersweet, conclusion.

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