Syrian Kurds face 30-day ultimatum from US and Turkey

The United States and Turkey have given the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a 30-day deadline to finish integrating with the Syrian government, sources familiar with the matter have told Middle East Eye.

SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement in March with Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, outlining the full merger of the SDF and its agencies into the Damascus government.

However, progress has stalled as the SDF and other Kurdish groups have demanded autonomy and resisted merging under the Syrian defence ministry, insisting on retaining a separate military command and organisational structure within the Syrian army.

American and Turkish patience is wearing thin, sources told MEE. During a meeting in Syria last week, US and Turkish officials gave the SDF a 30-day ultimatum to join the Damascus government.

“The SDF was told that not all of its armed units would be integrated into the Syrian army. Units excluded from integration would be disarmed, and overall control would remain with the Syrian government,” one source said.

The Damascus government reportedly shows little interest in incorporating the SDF’s all-women units, known as the YPJ - an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - into its ranks.

Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, has made it clear in several interviews and statements this month that Washington opposes such demands and favours a unified Syria with one nation, one military, and one state.

Earlier this month, the SDF delegation held talks with Syrian government officials, as well as American and French representatives. The discussions, however, yielded no breakthrough.

After the meeting, Barrack told journalists in New York: “We’ll bring you together, we’ll arbitrate, we’ll mediate, we’ll help, but we’re not going to stick around.

"If you guys don’t agree, then don’t agree, but we’re not going to be here forever as the babysitter and the mediator," he said.

Barrack also warned the SDF that failure to reach an agreement with Damascus could result in "other alternatives".

Turkish officials at the meeting held in Syria last week emphasised that the SDF should not exploit the goodwill of Damascus, Ankara and Washington by prolonging negotiations and stalling for time.