Damascus and Talks with the SDF: No Dialogue Under the Threat of Arms

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Damascus has categorically rejected engaging in dialogue with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as long as they retain their weapons, amid expectations of a new round of negotiations on integrating the Kurdish self-administration into the Syrian state.

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According to a government source cited by state television, Syrian authorities oppose allowing the Kurds — who control vast territories in the north and east of the country — to maintain armed forces. Negotiations are underway between Kurdish officials and the central government regarding the integration of both civil and military institutions, including the SDF, into the state apparatus.

The source stated to Syrian official media, “The refusal to surrender weapons and the insistence on forming an autonomous military bloc is categorically unacceptable and contradicts the principles of building a unified national army.”

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The source also argued that this contradicts the terms of an agreement signed in March between President Ahmad al-Shar’a and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. That agreement, signed on March 10 under American sponsorship, outlined several points — most notably the integration of all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the Syrian state, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields.

Since then, several negotiation sessions have taken place, but without tangible progress. Kurdish concerns have grown in light of recent violence in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, as well as alleged attacks targeting the Alawite minority.

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Kurdish news agency Hawar reported that a planned meeting on Thursday in Paris between a Syrian government delegation and Kurdish representatives had been postponed.

Last week, Sweida witnessed intense clashes between Druze fighters and tribal groups, resulting in over 1,300 deaths.

Senior Kurdish official Badran Jia Kurd on Thursday urged the transitional government to “urgently and comprehensively revise its domestic policy approach.”

Meanwhile, Damascus remains firm in its pursuit of national unity, “whatever the cost.”

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“A Red Line”

These developments follow a televised interview with Farhad Shami, director of the SDF media center, in which he emphasized that “surrendering our weapons is a red line. We will not hand over our arms. When we enter negotiations, we do not bargain on our principles.”

Shami added, “Contrary to media narratives suggesting the SDF must surrender, no one is surrendering in Syria. Those relying on a logic of capitulation will ultimately lose. I believe the events in Sweida proved this point.”

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In response, the Syrian government source condemned the use of incidents in Sweida or the coastal regions as pretexts to reject state authority or cast doubt on its intentions, describing this as an attempt to manipulate public opinion and distort reality.

Last Saturday, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack met with the SDF commander, discussing the recent sectarian violence in southern Syria, according to a post by the U.S. Embassy in Syria on platform X.

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