Negotiations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the possibility of a decentralized administration in Syria are needed, as they might be a way to integrate the SDF into the Syrian defense system in the region, Riyad Dirar, a co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the SDF political wing, told Sputnik
GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) Negotiations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the possibility of a decentralized administration in Syria are needed, as they might be a way to integrate the SDF into the Syrian defense system in the region, Riyad Dirar, a co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the SDF political wing, told Sputnik.
Back in July 2018, the Kurdish forces operating in the northeast of the country said they had reached an agreement with Damascus on forming a road map for "decentralized Syria." Dirar emphasized that the SDF was "not a grouping of terrorist militias" but part of the Syrian population that sought the development of Syria. He noted that the Syrian government should take note of this and work toward a political solution "to remain unified and under a new decentralized, democratic administration as is proposed by the political administration and political community in northern and eastern Syria."
"Decentralized administration is the solution and there must be negotiations as the Syrian Democratic Forces is a national force that in the future will work within the Syrian Army after settlement. This way, it [SDF] must be dealt with as part of the Syrian defense system in its regions," Dirar said.
His comments follow a statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who expressed hope last week that the Kurdish-backed forced operating in northeastern Syria would join Damascus for expelling foreign troops from the country's territory together.
In 2019, several rounds of Russian-mediated talks between the SDF and Damascus took place. US President Donald Trump's decision in late 2018 to pull US forces out of Syria served as a catalyst for the dialogue.
However, since the United States, the Syrian Kurds' ally, later decided to retain control of the oil fields in northeast despite scaling down its military presence in the area, the talks between the SDF and Damascus lost their spin. In December 2019, Muallem said the talks had failed because of the "inconsistent policies" of the Kurdish representatives.
