The end of Kurdish autonomous administration in Syria as SDF, al-Sharaa govt ink key deal

Syria has come to an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to merge the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeastern part of the country into the national government.

The Syrian presidency on Monday (March 10) published a statement signed by both parties laying out the agreement on “the integration of all the civilian and military institutions of the northeast of Syria within the administration of the Syrian state, including border posts, the airport, and the oil and gas fields”.

The deal is expected to be implemented by the end of 2025.

State media released a photo of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa shaking hands with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi after signing the agreement.

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Al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024 after ousting long-time leader Bashar al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.

His new authorities in Damascus has been looking to dissolve armed groups like the SDF and establish government control over the entire country.

Oppression of Kurds in Syria

For decades under the rule of the Assad family, the Kurds faced marginalisation and repression. They were denied the right to speak their language, celebrate their holidays, and, in many cases, even to have Syrian nationality.

During the civil war that began in 2011, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized the opportunity presented by the withdrawal of government forces to establish de facto autonomy in the north and northeast regions of Syria.

The Turkey angle

The deal comes almost two weeks after a call by Turkey’s jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) founder Abdullah Ocalan for the militant group to disarm and disband. PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.

While the SDF maintains it is independent from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, it is dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey sees as an offshoot of the PKK.

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The Turkish government, which is close to Syria’s new authorities, has designated the PKK a terrorist organisation, as have the United States and the European Union.

With inputs from agencies