Kurds in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli voiced caution on Monday (19 January) after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to withdraw from large areas under a ceasefire deal with Damascus.
The agreement, reached on Sunday, provides for the integration of Kurdish civilian and military authorities into the Syrian state, ending days of fighting in which Syrian troops captured territory including key oil fields.
Kurdish writer and researcher Shivan Ibrahim described the deal as a positive starting point but warned it remained fragile and would require trust and compromise from all sides. He said any lasting settlement must balance the protection of Syrian national identity with recognition of Kurdish identity.
He also questioned the role of the United States, which has long backed the SDF and has been closely involved in mediation between the sides. He said Washington should make greater efforts to bridge political differences between Syrian Kurds and the wider Syrian population.
Under the 14-point agreement, prisons, border crossings and oil and gas fields will be transferred to government control, a step the SDF had previously resisted.
The deal marks the most significant change in Syria’s control map since Islamist forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad in 2024. The balance of power has increasingly shifted towards Damascus after months of stalled negotiations over demands that SDF forces fully merge with the Syrian army.
In Qamishli, some residents expressed cautious optimism. Human rights activist Zaki Haji said concerns remained but were likely to ease over time, adding that Kurdish communities were entering a new political and cultural phase after years of armed conflict.
Haji added, the future would depend on aligning with democratic forces seeking a prosperous Syria without unilateral rule.
The SDF, spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, had controlled a quarter or more of Syria during the 2011–2024 civil war, fighting Islamic State with the support of U.S. troops.
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