According to Namık Durukan, reporting for T24, behind-the-scenes negotiations have quietly resumed. The details of Damascus's integration package offered to the SDF are now beginning to emerge, revealing a comprehensive proposal spanning military, political, and economic dimensions.
Charles Lister, Syria Program Director at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, outlined the key elements of the proposed agreement on social media. According to sources close to the negotiations, the package includes the integration of three SDF army divisions into the Syrian military, incorporation of Asayish security forces and the YPJ (Women's Protection Units) under the Interior Ministry, full citizenship equality and civil rights for Kurds, and official recognition of Kurdish as a national language.
The proposal also addresses economic concerns, offering proportional allocation of foreign direct investment and public revenues to Kurdish regions based on population. Additionally, the package promises Kurdish representation in high-level government positions, including posts within the Defense and Interior ministries.
Despite months of US-mediated talks and closed working group sessions in Damascus, Lister noted that the SDF has taken no concrete steps on the ground. This inaction, he warned, has gradually escalated tensions and brought "Plan B" back onto the table. The analyst emphasized that the coming weeks are "vitally important" in determining whether the SDF will genuinely commit to integration.
The Damascus government is reportedly prepared to invalidate the framework agreement by December 31, while patience on the Turkish front is also wearing thin. Contributing to the tension, the SDF recently banned celebrations marking the first anniversary of the Assad regime's fall and continues constructing military tunnels throughout northeastern Syria.
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper, speaking at a recent conference organized by Lister's institute, outlined three US priorities in Syria: combating ISIS, integrating the SDF into Syrian state structures, and coordinating with the Syrian government.
Meanwhile, high-level Turkish military visits to Damascus underscore Ankara's active engagement in the process. Following Turkish Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu's visit, Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel met with Syrian Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra and inspected the joint Turkish-Syrian Operations Center.
However, Turkey's Ministry of Defense has denied reports of imminent military operations, with spokesperson Zeki Aktürk stating that claims of reinforcement deployments to Syria are unfounded and not based on any verified information.
As the December 31 deadline approaches, all eyes remain on whether the SDF will take meaningful steps toward integration or risk military confrontation from multiple fronts.
Photo: Al Majalla