Syria’s Kurdish-led SDF dissolves, ending northeast autonomy

World SyriaTop News Syria’s Kurdish-led SDF dissolves, ending northeast autonomy Syria’s Kurdish Led Sdf Dissolves, Ending Northeast Autonomy Relevant News Municipalities say Cyprus is not ready for pay-as-you-throw 28 August 2026 Syria’s Kurdish-led SDF dissolves, ending northeast autonomy 28 August 2026 Cyprus leaders agree weekly meetings amid divergent readings 28 August 2026 Newsroom 28 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber This news piece was first published on policypress.cy By Bilun Gunes The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced its dissolution on Tuesday, 25 August, ending the existence of the force that served as Washington’s principal partner against Islamic State and once governed a de facto autonomous region across much of northeastern Syria. Commander Mazloum Abdi made the announcement in a televised speech from the presidential palace in Damascus, saying the dissolution followed the integration of SDF fighters into the Syrian military. Syrian state television reported that the announcement also covered the dissolution of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration and all military and civilian formations affiliated with it, followed by their full integration into Syrian state institutions. The announcement Speaking to reporters in Arabic and Kurdish, Abdi said: “Today, we announce the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and, with full responsibility, announce its dissolution as an independent military force.” He said the announcement followed the completion of the process of integrating the group’s forces into the brigades of the Syrian army. The SDF had carried a heavy responsibility during one of the most difficult periods in Syria’s history, he said, adding that circumstances had now changed, with the country entering a new phase of peace. Abdi said SDF fighters had “liberated many Syrian cities and towns, first from Baath rule and later from Islamic State terrorism.” The announcement came after a meeting between Abdi and President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace, attended by senior Kurdish administration official Ilham Ahmed. How the integration unfolded The SDF was formed in 2015 at US instigation to fight Islamic State, drawing primarily on the People’s Protection Units, known by its Kurdish initials YPG, the main armed force of Syria’s Kurdish community. At its peak, it controlled a de facto autonomous zone across much of northeastern Syria, including significant oil and agricultural land. The force is estimated to have numbered tens of thousands of fighters. Its position shifted after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Washington formed close ties with the new government in Damascus led by al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led force lost most of its territory in the northeast to a government offensive in January before signing the deal to merge with the army. The YPG had already been folded into state structures, with its commander, Sipan Hamo, appointed deputy defence minister for Syria’s eastern territories on 10 March. Speaking before Tuesday’s announcement, Hamo said the SDF’s role was over, adding that there could not be two administrations within a single state and that the Syrian government would take over the administration of the region’s affairs. Kurdish rights within the new framework Al-Sharaa moved to address Kurdish concerns during the negotiations. During ceasefire talks with the SDF in January, he issued a decree strengthening Kurdish rights, making Kurdish an official language alongside Arabic and adopting Nowruz as a national holiday. The decree also restored the citizenship of tens of thousands of Kurds in northeastern Hasakah province after they were stripped of it during the 1962 census. Abdi said al-Sharaa had promised that Kurds would have the right to education in their own language, an important issue for the country’s Kurdish population. Abdi said last week that the integration of the northeastern administration into state institutions had been completed, while efforts to secure Kurdish rights through Syria’s constitutional framework would continue. The Turkish dimension The dissolution removes what Ankara had long treated as a security threat on its southern border. Turkey regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, the EU, the UK and France, and has conducted multiple military operations against it inside Syria. The United States, by contrast, has treated the two as separate groups, banning the PKK while recruiting the YPG as its main ally in Syria against Islamic State. The development coincides with a parallel process inside Turkey. Following a call by its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK formally renounced its armed struggle against Turkey in May 2025, drawing a line under four decades of violence that claimed around 50,000 lives. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had previously accused the group of delaying the integration process, saying Turkey approached it with good intentions but was aware of what he called ruses, and complaining that YPG members who came from Turkey, Iraq and Iran had not left Syria. Regional context The SDF once controlled a de facto autonomous zone in Syria’s northeast, and its dissolution marks a significant consolidation of central authority in Damascus after nearly 14 years of civil war and fragmentation. It comes amid intensive diplomatic activity around Syria, including US-mediated talks between Damascus and Israel held in Jordan on Sunday, aimed at halting Israeli strikes on Syrian territory and reviving negotiations toward a security agreement, with both sides also discussing how to prevent Israeli-Turkish rivalry from spilling onto Syrian soil. For Turkey, the outcome removes a longstanding source of friction with Washington and consolidates Ankara’s position in northern Syria at a moment when its regional security role is expanding on several fronts. Sources: Reuters; AFP; AP; Euronews Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Municipalities say Cyprus is not ready for pay-as-you-throw Cyprus leaders agree weekly meetings amid divergent readings Cyprus airports handled 97,096 flights in 2025, Eurostat says Man, 48, overcomes danger after Pernera jet ski crash, daughter discharged “Edik” network murder suspect detained for six more days in occupied north Overnight pharmacies on Friday, August 28 17 agencies, still no answers on Limassol sea pollution Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.