Syria, Kurdish-led SDF Reach Understanding on Future of Hasakah Province

Amman, Jan. 20 (Petra) – The Syrian presidency announced that a mutual understanding has been reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on several issues related to the future of Hasakah province.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Syrian presidency said in a statement issued on Tuesday that it had agreed to grant the SDF four days for consultations in order to develop a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating the areas.

The presidency said that, if an agreement is reached, Syrian forces will not enter the centers of the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and will remain on their outskirts, with the timetable and details related to the peaceful integration of Hasakah province, including the city of Qamishli, to be discussed later. It also stressed that Syrian military forces will not enter Kurdish villages and that no armed forces will be present in those villages except for local security forces drawn from residents of the area, in accordance with the agreement.

The statement noted that the SDF put forward a candidate for the position of assistant minister of defense, in addition to proposing a candidate for the post of governor of Hasakah, along with names for representation in the People’s Assembly and a list of individuals for employment within Syrian state institutions.

It confirmed that both sides agreed to integrate all SDF military and security forces into the Ministries of Defense and Interior, with discussions continuing on the detailed mechanisms of integration, and that civilian institutions will also be integrated into the structure of the Syrian government.

The presidency further explained that Decree No. 13 related to linguistic and cultural rights and citizenship rights for Kurds will be implemented, reflecting a shared commitment to building a unified and strong Syria based on national partnership and guaranteeing rights for all its components.

It added that implementation of this understanding will begin as of 8:00 p.m. today.

//Petra// AF
20/01/2026 21:47:26