- Damascus seeks integration, not dismantlement, but questions group’s commitment, president also notes
ISTANBUL
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said “the state has not demanded the dismantling of SDF, but has instead called for integrating its forces within state institutions,” Syrian TV said.
According to excerpts from a televised interview aired on Wednesday by Al-Ikhbariya, Al-Sharaa said “trust cannot be built overnight,” citing what he described as the group’s record during Syria’s uprising.
He said “the SDF did not confront the former government for over 14 years of conflict and maintained direct contacts with it,” while Kurds participated individually in the uprising without an organizational role by the SDF.
Al-Sharaa said “SDF advances during the liberation phase into areas including Deir ez-Zor and parts of Aleppo hindered the liberation process itself, not the former government.”
He said “all state proposals were presented with broad international awareness, including by the US, the UN, and key regional and European states.”
Al-Sharaa said “the SDF chose not to take part in the national conference, government formation, or constitutional declaration,” despite not being barred from participation.
He noted that “the state granted the group nine months to build trust,” and emphasized that invitations were extended without intent to exclude it.
The president added that “the SDF failed to abide by the April 1, 2025 agreement calling for the withdrawal of SDF from Sheikh Maqsoud,” with a limited number of Interior Ministry security personnel remaining, alongside local residents, to manage security and services because of the area’s unique social makeup.
“The SDF announced at the time that the withdrawal had been completed,” he added.
About two months later, however, clashes resumed, and shelling began targeting nearby residential neighborhoods, including Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid, areas home to Arabs, Kurds, and Christians, al-Sharaa stressed.
He added that “shells landed in markets and civilian districts, directly undermining security across Aleppo.”
The continued violence has undercut efforts to promote Aleppo as an economic hub, given its industrial and agricultural base and its role as a key trade corridor, he added.
Al-Sharaa also noted that “the state cannot attract global investment while shells are fired from a residential neighborhood every few months,” emphasizing that protecting Aleppo and ensuring its stability remain a national priority that cannot be compromised.
In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country’s territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
In April 2025, Syrian authorities signed a separate agreement concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, stipulating that both districts remain administrative parts of Aleppo city while respecting their local particularities.
The agreement included provisions banning armed manifestations, restricting weapons to internal security forces, and requiring the withdrawal of SDF to areas east of the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria.
However, authorities said the SDF has failed to comply with the terms of those agreements.
The Syrian Army has recently deployed additional military reinforcements to the eastern countryside of Aleppo, amid rising tensions with the YPG/SDF terrorist organization and remnants of the former regime, according to Syrian media.
The Syrian government has intensified efforts to restore security nationwide since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.