SDF leader Mazlum Abdi: 'I will not take on an official role in the state'

Following weeks of tension and conflict in Syria, it has been reported that the comprehensive agreement reached between the Damascus administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will be implemented as of February 2. As the details of the agreement began to emerge, and despite claims that names were being discussed for key positions such as the Governorship of Al-Hasakah and the Deputy Ministry of Defense, SDF leader Mazlum Abdi denied these allegations.

Abdi announced that he would not accept any state position, stating, "I will remain among my people and by their side." Regarding the implementation of the agreement, the SDF official stated that the current "autonomous administration" personnel would remain in their posts but would be integrated into the relevant ministries.

THERE WILL BE THREE MILITARY BRIGADES

Ilham Ahmed, one of the YPG leaders, stated in a press conference that the consensus reached aims for a permanent ceasefire. It was stated that within the scope of the agreement, three military brigades would be established in Kurdish regions, that these brigades would include SDF members and Kurdish commanders, and that the brigades would be attached to the Ministry of Defense. Furthermore, it was announced that the process would proceed under the guarantee of the US and France.

Addressing the US approach that the SDF's primary role in the fight against the terrorist organization ISIS has been completed, Ahmed expressed that this situation was negative from their perspective.

A Syrian government official had previously shared that military and security integration would be carried out individually on the basis of brigades. According to the agreement, it was reported that public institutions, border gates, and crossing points would also be transferred to official administrative structures affiliated with the central government. With this step, it is aimed to bring all regions of Syria under state control.

It was stated that the parties had initiated a process leading to a consensus in the recent past, particularly since the ceasefire that began on January 24. While the SDF lost control of some regions in the north and east of the country during the conflict period, government forces gained an advantage. The SDF, which had long received support from the US, had built a de facto "autonomous administration" in a vast geography that also included oil fields in the north and east.

Following the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, the political landscape was reshaped after the capital was seized by the Al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and the state's quest to re-establish central authority across the entire country had gained momentum.