How is the integration process in Syria going? – 1

The integration process that began between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the interim government in Syria following the January 29 agreement has entered its fourth month. In this process, a ceasefire came into effect, meetings were held on integration issues, and some steps were also taken.

In the meantime, discussions continue, such as: Who benefits from this process? And what are the results it brings with it? And how should it be understood? And so on..

Well, how did this process go and to what extent has it reached? We will highlight the course of the process thru this three-part file.

The developments leading up to the January 29 agreement

Since 2023, the Middle East region has witnessed extremely rapid changes and transformations. These developments have directly affected Syria and the northern and eastern parts of Syria as well. With Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, against Israel, and the Israeli attacks on Gaza, the crisis in the region deepened.

On one hand, Israel launched attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, and on the other hand, it bombed the bases of Iran-affiliated groups in Syria. Meanwhile, the Turkish state, which targets areas in North and East Syria, sees these developments as a threat to itself, so it began looking for ways to take action. In this context, a secret meeting was held in the Turkish parliament.

On October 22, 2024, Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a party meeting: "There are very significant dangers threatening Turkey," and he called on leader Abdullah Ocalan to end the war and come to practice politics in parliament.

And while these developments were taking place, new changes were also unfolding in Syria; on November 27, 2024, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham launched a war from Aleppo against the Ba'ath regime. And on December 8, the Ba'ath regime collapsed.

This led to a shift in the balance of power in Syria and the beginning of a new phase. The Autonomous Administration system established in North and East Syria, along with its defense forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, has become more prominent on the agenda.

Forces such as the United States and Britain have engaged with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the government it formed as interlocutors, and they also wanted the Autonomous Administration to negotiate with Damascus.

On the other hand, the Turkish state wanted to take advantage of this situation and directed its political and military attacks toward the areas of Autonomous Administration.

The call of leader Abdullah Ocalan

Amid these developments, meetings were held with leader Abdullah Ocalan, and he clarified that they want to move the Kurdish issue from the ground of war to the ground of politics and law. On February 27, 2025, leader Abdullah Ocalan shared these views with the world under the title "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society."

March 10 Agreement

Leader Abdullah Ocalan also sent a message to the Syrian Democratic Forces, calling for a solution for a democratic Syria.

After this call, an agreement was signed in Syria on March 10, 2025, between the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, and the head of the interim government in Syria, Ahmad al-Shara. This agreement consisted of 8 clauses, and a decision was made to form joint committees to implement it.

Within the framework of this agreement, meetings began, but the threats and pressures from the Turkish state did not cease; therefore, the understandings reached in these meetings did not come into effect.
April 1 Agreement

On April 1st, an agreement was reached between the Civil Council of the neighborhoods of Ashrafieh and Sheik Maqsoud and the committee appointed by the Presidency of the Republic to implement the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces. The agreement included 14 clauses that stipulated the administration of the neighborhoods and the preservation of their Kurdish identity.

At the end of 2025, the Turkish state intensified its pressures and threats. Conversely, at the beginning of 2026, in order to find a solution, a meeting was held in Damascus on January 4 between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the government.

The meeting was held, and according to one of the leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Sipan Hamo, the atmosphere was positive and it reached the signing stage, but at the last moment, the talks were halted by the intervention of one of the government ministers.

Paris Meeting

On January 5, a meeting was held in the French capital, Paris, between Israel, France, and the interim government in Syria, attended by a representative from the United States. The Turkish Foreign Minister was also present in Paris and held meetings with the parties involved in the meeting.

On January 6, the United States, Israel, and the interim government in Syria announced that they had agreed in the Paris meeting on a mechanism for joint cooperation to exchange information, de-escalate tensions, and support stability.

For his part, the Turkish Foreign Minister announced after the meeting that they had presented their requests to the attendees in Paris.

January 6 attacks

On January 6, factions affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government and the occupying Turkish state launched an attack on the neighborhoods of Sheik Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zaid in the city of Aleppo.

These attacks continued later in Deir Hafer, al-Tabqah, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor. In response to these attacks, the Autonomous Administration declared a state of general mobilization on January 18. Based on this call, millions in the four parts of Kurdistan and outside the homeland took to the squares and condemned the attacks.

Hundreds of people headed toward Rojava and joined the resistance. All Kurdish movements and parties also called for unity. This wave of uprising has influenced the governments of countries around the world, and statements have been issued calling for an end to the attacks.

Agreement of January 29

During the period of the attacks, leader Abdullah Ocalan, in his meetings with the delegation of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), pointed out that these attacks are a second conspiracy similar to the one that occurred on February 15, and called for solving the problem thru dialog. Leader Abdullah Ocalan also called on Turkey to play a constructive role.

Following these developments, an agreement was signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the interim government on January 29, and it was announced on January 30.

Steps to implement the agreement
Military developments

According to the agreement, integration efforts will be undertaken, and steps will be taken in the military, political-administrative, economic, educational aspects, and the issue of displaced and uprooted persons.

The agreement also stipulated the continued presence of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in their areas, while considering the region's Autonomous Administration from an administrative perspective.

After the agreement, these actions began, and the first step was taken in the military-security aspect.

Al-Jazira

The implementation of the agreement began on February 1, 2, and 3 through meetings held between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the interim government. In this context, officials from the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria and government officials held meetings in the cities of Qamishlo and Hasakah. The interim government appointed "Marwan Al-Ali" as the commander of the security forces in al-Hasakah.

Mamdouh Khalil Ali (Siamand Afrin), one of the leaders of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in North and East Syria, was also appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Internal Security Forces in al-Hasakah Governorate.

The status of the Syrian Democratic Forces was one of the most discussed topics. According to the agreement, these forces will remain in their areas and maintain their independence. In this context, it was planned to reorganize the Syrian Democratic Forces into four brigades; three of them would be formed in the Jazira region, and one brigade would be formed in Kobani. Numerous meetings were held to implement this.

On February 6, the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces met in al-Hasakah with the leaders of the government forces.

On February 10, the process of redeploying the Syrian Democratic Forces and Internal Security Forces in the regions of Jazira and Kobani began

On February 23, a delegation including members of the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Jiya Kobani and Siban Hamo, and a member of the Women's Protection Units leadership, "Sarya Afrin," met with officials from the government's Ministry of Defense in Damascus.

The topic of the Syrian Democratic Forces was the most discussed, especially the existence of some disagreements regarding the number of brigades; the number of each brigade proposed by Damascus did not align with what the Syrian Democratic Forces were proposing. Based on the discussions, 4 brigades were formed and officially accepted.

Appointments in ministries and leadership positions

Another tangible step was the appointment of leaders from the Syrian Democratic Forces within the ranks of the Syrian army.

On March 10, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced the appointment of a member of their general leadership, Siban Hamo, to the position of Deputy Minister of Defense for the Eastern Region of Syria. The provinces of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah were designated as areas under the responsibility of Sipan Hamo.

The Syrian Democratic Forces Command revealed on March 27 the appointment of its General Command member, Jiya Kobani (Haji Mohammed Nabo), to the position of Deputy Commander of the 60th Division. The 60th Division consists of military forces located in the regions of al-Jazira and Aleppo.

Kobani

The meetings and gatherings that were held in the island also took place in Kobani, but in different forms. There were some disagreements in areas like Shekhan (Sheikhs) and Jalabiya regarding the repositioning of military and security forces; therefore, the implementation of the agreement's terms was delayed. The issue of the siege imposed on the city was another reason for this delay.

On February 1, a delegation from Damascus held a meeting with representatives from the city of Kobani.

On February 5, a delegation from the Democratic Autonomous Administration in Kobani met with the Aleppo governor at the governorate building to discuss security issues.

On February 8, a delegation from the Internal Security Forces in Kobani held a meeting in Aleppo with the commander of the Internal Security Forces in Aleppo.

On February 9, a meeting was held in the town of al-Jalabiya, part of Kobani, between the Internal Security Forces and the General Security Command in Aleppo.

As a result of these meetings, the Internal Security Forces, in collaboration with the government security forces, established a joint checkpoint in the towns of al-Jalabiya and Shekhan starting from February 27.

On March 2, the Syrian Democratic Forces handed over the center of the town of Sheikler in Kobani to the security forces and stationed themselves in their new bases.

Opening the roads

After the steps that were taken, the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) and the government security forces set up joint checkpoints on the Raqqa-Hasakah road and the Hasakah-Deir ez-Zor road on March 4.

On March 10, the international road (M4) connecting the cities of Hasakah, Raqqa, Kobani, Manbij, and Aleppo was reopened.
On April 13, the Tal Tamr-Derik-Serê Kaniyê/ Ras al-Ain road, which had been closed since October 2019, was opened.

Prisoner exchange

The issue of prisoners was one of the points on which concrete steps were taken. As a result of the conducted meetings, the interim government released 1,032 prisoners, while the Syrian Democratic Forces have released 491 people so far.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, had stated before the start of the exchange process that the total number of prisoners held by the interim government is 1,070, consisting of fighters and civilians.
The release phase began on March 10 and is still ongoing.
Women's Protection Units YPJ

Among the items on the agenda for the repositioning of military forces, the issue of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) and their official recognition remains unresolved. The Women's Protection Units (YPJ) are considered a self-governing structure and a fundamental component within the Syrian Democratic Forces. They are known as the will and the greatest achievement of the women's struggle; therefore, there is a demand for official recognition of this structure. However, Damascus has not accepted this so far, under the pretext that there is no similar provision in the current laws.

Despite these disagreements, negotiations between the two sides are still ongoing.

On April 1, members of the Women's Protection Units leadership, Sozdar Haji and Rohlat Afrin, the commander of the Women's Brigade in the Qamishlo Division, Khalisa Ayad, and the media spokesperson for the Women's Protection Units, Rokan Jamal, held a meeting in Damascus with the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government. Detailed information about the meeting was not disclosed, but it was said to have taken place in a positive atmosphere and that efforts would continue.

On April 15 as well, the co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department in the Autonomous Administration, Ilham Ahmed, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, met in Damascus with the head of the interim government, Ahmed al-Shara'a. According to the information provided by Ilham Ahmed to ANHA agency, the issue of the Women's Protection Units was evaluated during the meeting, and she confirmed that the work on formalizing these forces will remain on the agenda until a result is achieved.

In the current situation, the Women's Protection Units YPJ maintain their presence in their own bases.

What does the public say?

Discussions regarding the reorganization of military and security forces are taking place among various circles, but citizens are the most curious and eager to understand the issue correctly.

Therefore, we turned to the people to gather their opinions on this matter.
The people who spoke see the steps taken as positive despite some concerns, and they emphasize the necessity of protecting the region's gains.

They also emphasized the need for the official recognition of the Women's Protection Units. And there are also citizens who did not fully understand the process and did not wish to speak.

It is understood from these opinions that the involvement of the relevant institutions in informing and educating the public will contribute to better guiding the community.

Conclusion

We have sought up to this point to explain the developments that have occurred in the military and security aspects. The military forces were the focal point of this process, and despite taking significant steps, discussions are still ongoing, and we will continue to monitor them.

There are other topics related to the process on the agenda; in the second part, we will explain the administrative and political steps.

ANHA