Farhad Shami, director of the media center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that the newly restructured Syrian army is “unprepared” to integrate a highly organized military force such as the SDF.
In an interview with Rojava TV on Friday, September 26, Shami explained that the March 10 agreement was and remains an attempt to establish a nationwide ceasefire and build trust between Damascus and the SDF.
He argued that the government in Damascus continues to behave as the former Ba’ath regime did, “focusing solely on security and military matters.”
Shami stressed that the SDF is not like other factions recently absorbed into the Ministry of Defense but a “military, social, political, and administrative organization.”
Negotiations between the Syrian government and the SDF under the March 10 agreement, which aimed to integrate SDF institutions into the state, have stalled amid mutual accusations of delaying or obstructing the deal.
Clashes have erupted along frontlines between the two sides, most recently on September 24, when a firefight in eastern Aleppo countryside left a Syrian Ministry of Defense soldier dead.
According to Shami, the government insists on dissolving the SDF under the guise of “integration,” while in reality, it is Damascus that is “stalling and evading the acceptance” of the SDF into the Syrian army. He added that the government is currently “unready to accommodate an organized actor with such social and political backing.”
Regional Security Concerns
Both Syria and Turkey consider the SDF a threat to regional security in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.
Turkish Defense Ministry sources said on Thursday, September 25, that Ankara is closely monitoring contacts between the Syrian government and the “terrorist SDF organization.”
According to the ministry, recent attacks on government forces in Manbij and rural Aleppo once again demonstrated that the SDF does not adhere to the March 10 agreement.
Turkey, the sources said, remains committed to close cooperation with Damascus, particularly in combating “terrorist organizations.”
The ministry reiterated Turkey’s support for the principle of “one state, one army” as essential for Syria’s stability, security, and regional peace.
The Turkish daily Milliyet reported that during a roundtable with international journalists and researchers on September 20, transitional Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa described the situation in northeastern Syria as a “threat” to the national security of Turkey and Iraq.
Al-Sharaa said Damascus had convinced Ankara to refrain from launching a military operation against the SDF following Assad’s ouster, giving negotiations a chance.
He hinted, however, that “if integration is not achieved by December, Turkey may take military action.”
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler had already said on Friday, September 19, that the SDF and all its extensions must immediately lay down their arms and halt “terrorist activities,” especially in Syria.
Escalating Attacks
Amid the cycle of clashes, an SDF sniper shot dead a Syrian Ministry of Defense soldier from the 80th Division on the Deir Hafer frontline in eastern Aleppo countryside on Wednesday, September 24, following several days of tensions and artillery exchanges.
According to Enab Baladi’s information, on Tuesday, SDF forces shelled areas under government control in Deir Hafer, though no casualties were reported.
On September 20, the two sides exchanged shelling in eastern Aleppo countryside, leaving civilian casualties and sparking mutual accusations over who initiated the clashes.
The March 10 Agreement
On March 10, al-Sharaa signed what was described as a “historic agreement” with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, stipulating the integration of SDF military and civil institutions into the Syrian government.
The Autonomous Administration said the March 10 agreement and subsequent meetings between the SDF and transitional president al-Sharaa were an important milestone in building common ground for constructive dialogue.
Those meetings were characterized by a “positive atmosphere” and a genuine will to reach consensual solutions, the Administration added. However, these sentiments have yet to materialize into concrete steps on the ground, raising questions about the “seriousness” of Damascus in seizing the “historic opportunity” for a settlement.
The SDF stated that all its specialized committees from northeastern Syria, including those dealing with constitutional, administrative, security, and service matters, remain fully prepared to begin work as soon as Damascus sets a date.
SDF Doubts Syrian Army’s Ability to Absorb Its Forces Enab Baladi.
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