Syria, SDF strike deal to merge institutions

The Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, reached an agreement on Monday to merge all civil and military institutions in the Kurdish-controlled region under state institutions, state news agency SANA reported.

The integration includes institutions overseeing border crossings, airports, and oil and gas fields, SANA reported, adding that the agreement was finalized during a meeting earlier in the day between Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF's top commander, Mazloum Abdi.

The agreement also includes provisions guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians, the official recognition of the Kurdish community as an integral part of Syria, a nationwide ceasefire, and protection for returning displaced Syrians, SANA reported.

"The executive committees will work to fully implement the agreement by the end of this year," SANA reported, citing a joint statement by the interim government and the SDF.

Photos showed Al-Sharaa and Abdi shaking hands in Damascus as they finalized the agreement, which provides for SDF-controlled civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria to be integrated with the state.

The accord comes at a critical moment as Al-Sharaa grapples with the fallout from mass killings of Alawite minority members in western Syria – violence that he said on Monday threatens his effort to unite Syria after 14 years of conflict.

In his first official comment following the signing of the accord, Abdi said in a post on X that the deal represents a "real opportunity to build a new Syria."

He said the SDF was working with the Syrian administration at "such a critical period" to ensure a transitional phase that reflects the aspirations of the Syrian people for justice and stability.

Implementation is due by the end of the year, but the accord does not specify how the SDF's military operations will be integrated into Syria's defense ministry, a major sticking point in negotiations so far.

There was no immediate comment on the deal from Türkiye, a close ally of Al-Sharaa.

(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)