US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leaders General Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed to reaffirm American support for the integration process outlined in the Jan. 18 agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government.
In a post on X, Barrack said the meeting focused on upholding the current ceasefire and implementing confidence-building measures to foster trust and stability. He emphasized that the SDF’s role as the primary ground force against ISIS is now ending as Syria enters a new political and security phase.
Barrack highlighted that Kurds in Syria now have an opportunity for full integration into a unified Syrian state under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with citizenship rights, cultural protections, and political participation. He noted that under Bashar al-Assad, many Kurds faced statelessness, discrimination, and language restrictions.
The US military presence in northeastern Syria was initially justified by the fight against ISIS, during which the SDF proved to be the most effective ground partner, defeating ISIS’s caliphate and detaining thousands of fighters and their families. With a functioning central Syrian government now cooperating on counterterrorism, the rationale for a separate US-SDF partnership has shifted.
Barrack explained that the Jan. 18 agreement allows for the individual integration of SDF fighters into the national military, the handover of key infrastructure, and the transfer of ISIS detention facilities to Damascus. The US is prioritizing defeating ISIS remnants, supporting reconciliation, and advancing national unity rather than endorsing separatism.
He stressed that integration offers Kurds lasting rights, recognition, and participation in governance while mitigating the risks of renewed instability or an ISIS resurgence. Barrack’s meeting with Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed underscores Washington’s commitment to anchoring Syria’s transition in a sustained ceasefire and a peaceful integration process.
