The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking almost full control of the country, Syrian state media says. The ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and forms part of a broader 14-point agreement that will see the SDF integrated into Syria's military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates - al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa. It follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack praised the agreement as a step toward a unified Syria.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, postponing his visit until Monday, al-Sharaa said. In a televised address, Abdi confirmed the meeting and said he would share more details about the agreement with Syria's Kurds after returning from the capital.
Speaking on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, he mentioned that the deal he had agreed to with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a broader war, stressing that the fighting had been imposed on the SDF. Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during Syria's civil war nearly a decade ago, with strong backing from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its primary local partner in fighting against the Islamic State group (ISIS).
Under the new agreement, Syrian authorities will take charge of civilian institutions, border crossings, and oil and gas fields that have supported Kurdish self-rule. SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria's defense and interior ministries after proper vetting, while Damascus assumes responsibility for prisons and detention camps housing thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
Importantly, Damascus has reiterated pledges to recognize Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting Kurdish official language status and marking the Kurdish new year as a national holiday – a historic acknowledgment of Kurdish rights since Syria's independence from France in 1946.
Abdi stated that the SDF remains committed to safeguarding what he describes as the achievements and specific characteristics of the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria.
The agreement also reaffirms Syria's participation in the US-led coalition against ISIS. The deal comes after months of stalled negotiations following a previous integration effort that failed and arises after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and surrounding oil facilities following the SDF's withdrawal earlier on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa had stated last week that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and manage its key oil and commodity resources.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates - al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa. It follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack praised the agreement as a step toward a unified Syria.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, postponing his visit until Monday, al-Sharaa said. In a televised address, Abdi confirmed the meeting and said he would share more details about the agreement with Syria's Kurds after returning from the capital.
Speaking on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, he mentioned that the deal he had agreed to with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a broader war, stressing that the fighting had been imposed on the SDF. Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during Syria's civil war nearly a decade ago, with strong backing from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its primary local partner in fighting against the Islamic State group (ISIS).
Under the new agreement, Syrian authorities will take charge of civilian institutions, border crossings, and oil and gas fields that have supported Kurdish self-rule. SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria's defense and interior ministries after proper vetting, while Damascus assumes responsibility for prisons and detention camps housing thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
Importantly, Damascus has reiterated pledges to recognize Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting Kurdish official language status and marking the Kurdish new year as a national holiday – a historic acknowledgment of Kurdish rights since Syria's independence from France in 1946.
Abdi stated that the SDF remains committed to safeguarding what he describes as the achievements and specific characteristics of the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria.
The agreement also reaffirms Syria's participation in the US-led coalition against ISIS. The deal comes after months of stalled negotiations following a previous integration effort that failed and arises after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and surrounding oil facilities following the SDF's withdrawal earlier on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa had stated last week that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and manage its key oil and commodity resources.
