Syria and Kurds Struggle Over Military Merger Plan \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Syrian government and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces remain divided over merging their armies despite a March agreement. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack says negotiations are progressing slowly due to lingering mistrust. A vague integration deal and Turkey’s role complicate efforts to stabilize post-Assad Syria.
Quick Looks
- U.S. envoy Tom Barrack confirms lack of breakthrough
- Syria’s new government and SDF struggle over integration terms
- March deal includes army merger and border handover
- Dispute centers on SDF’s structure within new military
- Detention centers, oil fields, and airports key assets in talks
- Trump lifted sanctions, revoked terror label on former insurgents
- Turkey opposes SDF due to PKK ties, adding pressure
- U.S. downscaling forces, urges Kurdish integration
- Assad ousted by al-Sharaa-led coalition in 2023
- Israel-Syria normalization remains distant and uncertain
Deep Look
Efforts to unify Syria’s fractured security forces under a single command are faltering, as the central government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) remain sharply at odds over key military integration terms. The impasse threatens to undermine one of the most significant political transitions in the region since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, following a series of meetings in Damascus, confirmed that disagreements between the two sides continue to stall progress. Speaking to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Barrack described the negotiations as “baby steps,” acknowledging deep-rooted mistrust between parties that, until recently, stood on opposing sides of the country’s devastating civil war.
The talks revolve around a deal reached in March 2025 between Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the U.S.-allied SDF. The agreement outlined the eventual merger of SDF forces into a new national Syrian army and handed over control of key infrastructure — including oil fields, border crossings, airports, and detention facilities — from Kurdish authorities to the central government.
A Deal Short on Details, Long on Challenges
While the agreement marked a dramatic shift in Syria’s military landscape, it lacked crucial specifics. Foremost among the sticking points is the status of the SDF as a distinct military entity. Syrian Kurdish leaders have insisted the SDF remain intact within the new army structure, citing operational cohesion and battlefield experience. Damascus, on the other hand, is pushing for full dissolution and individual absorption of fighters into national ranks.
“This is still a big issue,” Barrack acknowledged. “Trust is built slowly — and this is a process involving sides with adversarial histories.”
Complicating matters are Turkish-backed factions within Syria’s new government. These groups have long viewed the SDF as an extension of the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades. While the PKK recently announced a ceasefire and intent to disarm, Ankara’s animosity toward Kurdish militias remains a destabilizing factor.
The U.S. finds itself in a delicate position. It has designated the PKK a terrorist organization, yet its alliance with the SDF was instrumental in defeating the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. Now, Washington is working to shepherd its Kurdish allies into the post-Assad order, without triggering further conflict or alienating regional players like Turkey.
The Role of the U.S. and Al-Sharaa’s Rise
The shift in Syrian governance was accelerated when President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May. Following that summit, the U.S. lifted longstanding sanctions on Syria and removed the terrorist designation from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the former insurgent faction led by al-Sharaa that launched the December 2024 offensive which drove Assad from power.
The U.S. sees the new Syrian government as a potential stabilizing force and is encouraging integration with inclusive governance. “We have complete confidence in the new Syrian government’s military,” Barrack stated, emphasizing that Washington also sees the SDF as a “valuable partner” deserving respectful inclusion in the country’s future security framework.
Despite reducing its presence in Syria to about 1,300 troops, the U.S. remains actively engaged in shaping the country’s military and political future, underscoring its desire to avoid the mistakes of past disengagements in the region.
Tensions with Turkey and the Fragile Kurdish Position
Turkey’s influence looms large. Ankara has consistently opposed the presence of Kurdish-led militias near its border, citing national security threats. While Turkey has backed elements of Syria’s transitional government, its deep mistrust of the SDF poses a significant hurdle to integration efforts.
Clashes between Turkish-aligned militias and the SDF have erupted intermittently over the past years, deepening the complexity of bringing these groups under a single military command. With Turkey’s sway over the new government, SDF integration may depend not only on Syrian negotiations but also on broader Turkish approval.
Peace with Israel? Not Yet
Meanwhile, speculation about a possible thaw in relations between Syria and Israel has been tempered by reality. Barrack dismissed reports of near-term breakthroughs, likening any progress to “unwrapping an onion — slowly, layer by layer.”
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has expanded its presence in the U.N.-buffered zone near the Golan Heights, launching airstrikes on Syrian military targets and conducting raids against suspected militants. These actions have raised tensions and further complicated Damascus’s ability to consolidate national security.
Israeli officials maintain that these measures are preventive, citing fears of renewed cross-border attacks, like the Hamas-led assault in southern Israel in October 2023 that reignited hostilities in Gaza. Syria’s transitional government, seeking international legitimacy, has so far avoided direct confrontations but is unlikely to prioritize diplomatic engagement with Israel in the near future.
Looking Forward
While progress has been made in removing Assad and forming a new central government, Syria’s transition remains precarious. The planned military merger could reshape the future of the Syrian state, but only if the SDF and Damascus can overcome their mutual suspicions and external actors like Turkey agree to stand down.
For now, the path to unity is uncertain. As Barrack emphasized, trust must be built step by step — and time is running short as the year-end deadline for implementing the March agreement approaches.
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