An agreement to transfer control of the Kurdish autonomous region in Syria appeared to be collapsing Tuesday morning, after a night of heavy fighting between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and forces loyal to President Ahmad al‑Sharaar. In response to the escalating violence, the Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria declared a general mobilization overnight and called on young Kurds living outside Syria to return home to defend their people.
Only two nights ago, the Syrian government announced a ceasefire deal with the SDF — an organization whose fighters are mostly Kurdish — following days of intense fighting in which Syrian army units stormed Kurdish strongholds and forced SDF fighters to withdraw. Al‑Sharaa described the agreement as a major victory and what was effectively a Kurdish surrender, saying the Kurds agreed to hand over control of all territory to the state, transfer rights to oil and gas fields, disband their military forces, and integrate as fighters within state security structures.
Syria ceasefire agreement collapses, Kurds set fire to border crossing in Turkey
However, sharp mutual accusations erupted as soon as Monday. The Kurds claimed regime forces engaged them on multiple fronts, while Damascus accused the SDF of deliberately releasing ISIS terrorists from a prison in Al‑Shaddadi. The SDF countered that the escape occurred amid a Syrian army attack on the facility — a claim the regime denied.
Monday evening, al‑Sharaa met in Damascus with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, but the meeting quickly broke down. Fawza Youssef of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) said Monday night that the discussion between al‑Sharaa and Abdi “was not positive” and that Damascus wants the Kurds to “give up everything.”
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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his forces storming Kurdish-controlled areas
(Photos: Omar Haj Kadour / AFP / Ludovic Marin / POOL)
“Surrender is not acceptable to us,” she said. “The government wants us to dismantle our institutions. Most of the fighters attacking us are from ISIS. The government does not want the Kurds to receive their rights. Our decision is resistance.”
Sources speaking to Qatar’s Al‑Araby Al‑Jadeed on Tuesday morning reported that the meeting failed after Abdi backed out of the agreement reached on Sunday. The report claimed that during negotiations al‑Sharaa offered Abdi the post of Deputy Defense Minister and the appointment of a Kurdish Autonomous Administration official as governor of Al‑Hasakah, a region currently under Kurdish control that is supposed to be handed over to the regime. According to the sources, Abdi rejected the offer.
Kurds warn the U.S.: 'Everything we achieved together could be lost'
Shortly after Monday night’s failed meeting, the Kurds reported an alleged drone attack on their territory from Turkey, a close ally of al‑Sharaa’s regime — a claim Ankara vehemently denied. Overnight, Syrian channels reported continued clashes between Kurdish and regime forces. The SDF said its fighters and women’s units thwarted five attacks by regime‑backed factions near the village of Sarin, south of Kobani.
The Kurds withdrew, residents in Tabqa toppled a statue 'linked to the PKK'
The Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria declared a general mobilization overnight and urged Kurds abroad to come to Syria to defend the Kurdish minority. Kurdish unrest outside Syria is palpable; a video allegedly filmed at the Turkish border circulated last night, purportedly showing SDF supporters on the Turkish side burning the Nusaybin border crossing to enter Syria and reach the Kurdish city of Qamishli. In Erbil, Iraq, Kurds demonstrated overnight in front of the U.S. consulate, calling for protection of their brethren in Syria.
PYD’s Youssef, who was part of the Kurdish autonomous administration’s negotiation team, on Monday night pointed the finger at the United States, saying Americans “can stop this war before everything we achieved together is lost.”
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A-Sharaa presents the agreement on Tuesday. "He offered Abedi the position of Deputy Defense Minister, and it was rejected
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Syrian forces deploying in the city of Raqqa, which was previously under Kurdish control
(Photo: Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
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Kurdish refugees who fled advancing Syrian forces arrive in Qamishli
(Photo: Delil Souleiman / AFP)
The SDF was for years a key U.S. ally in Syria and played a major role in defeating ISIS, which seized large parts of Syria and Iraq a decade ago. However, the first Trump administration began scaling back commitments to the Kurds, and now President Donald Trump and his aides maintain very close ties with Syria’s new president al‑Sharaa and his allies — the SDF’s rivals.
In a statement released Monday, the SDF claimed that when the Syrian army allegedly attacked the Kurdish‑held prison and ISIS prisoners escaped, repeated calls for help to the nearby U.S.‑led anti‑ISIS coalition base went unanswered.
'American support was never sincere'
Monday night, al‑Sharaa spoke with Trump and, according to al‑Sharaa’s office they discussed developments in Syria and emphasized their mutual support for “unity” and the fight against terror. The Syrian presidency statement said they also stressed the importance of maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and independence and supporting all efforts to achieve stability. The statement added that they discussed the need to “ensure the rights and protection of the Kurdish people within the Syrian state.”
Some Kurds in Syria expressed disappointment with the U.S. even as the agreement seemed to be holding, accusing Washington of betrayal. U.S. envoy Tom Barkey was quick to praise the agreement minutes after it was announced Sunday night, calling it “a turning point where rivals embrace partnership.”
In the Kurdish city of Qamishli, some see the collapse of the deal as evidence of America abandoning its allies after their significant contributions to defeating ISIS. Bi Ahmed, a 40‑year‑old Kurdish activist, said, “I never felt that American support for us was sincere,” comparing Washington’s actions to “real estate brokerage and nothing more.” She described the agreement as a disappointment after years of hope that the Syrian constitution could offer a better future for the Kurds.
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Non-Kurdish children cheer as al-Sharaa's fighters arrive, this week
(Photo: Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images)
Ahmed also voiced fear that factions aligned with al‑Sharaa could persecute Kurds as they have in recent years against the Alawite minority on the Syrian coast and the Druze community in As‑Suwayda. She expressed deep concern that Kurdish martyrs’ graves and photos could be desecrated.
Aras Mohammed, 34, said he felt “deep disappointment” with the agreement the Kurds were forced to sign, which now appears to be falling apart. He claimed al‑Sharaa is “imposing his vision of the state and constitution,” and he is worried because past agreements have been violated.
“This isn’t the first time America has abandoned its allies — allies who fought hard and sacrificed thousands of lives against barbarians and terrorists,” Rafah Ismail, 43, a jewelry shop owner in Qamishli, said. Pharmacist Mohammed Isa, 25, called on the U.S.‑led anti‑ISIS coalition and America not to abandon the Kurds, saying: “Unfortunately, international decisions are determining our fate today.”
Kurds don’t trust Al‑Qaida‑linked leaders
The fighting between al‑Sharaa’s forces and the SDF has repeatedly erupted in recent months amid the failure of talks between them and the Syrian president who came to power in December 2024, after the overthrow of Assad following 14 years of civil war. Al‑Shaar is working to unite all of Syria under his rule, including territories the Kurdish forces carved out in the northeast over the past decade.
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Al-Sharaa fighters warm themselves around a campfire in the al-Tabqa area, in the al-Raqqa province
(Photo: Omar Haj Kadour / AFP)
The Kurds, meanwhile, fear giving up the autonomy they established. Their concerns are rooted not only in decades of discrimination under Syria’s previous regime but also in deep suspicion about al‑Sharaa’s intentions — a former Al‑Qaida affiliate now presenting a moderate image while claiming to have abandoned jihadist ideology. The fact that forces aligned with his new regime have carried out horrific massacres against the Alawite and Druze minorities only intensifies Kurdish fears of relinquishing autonomy. Nearly two million Kurds live in Syria.
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The Syrian president recognized Kurdish as an official language, but he is not trusted in Qamishli
(Photo: Omar Haj Kadour / AFP)
Over the past year, negotiations have taken place between the sides, and last March a deal was reached that was seen at the time as dramatic: it called for integrating SDF forces into the Syrian army and merging Kurdish civil institutions with Syrian government structures. However, substantive progress toward implementing that agreement has not been achieved, and now al‑Shara appears to be expanding his rule by force.
In parallel, he has pledged to provide security for the Kurds. Last weekend he signed a presidential decree recognizing Kurds as an integral part of the Syrian state and acknowledging their language as official. The Kurdish autonomous administration said the decree was a “first step” but described it as insufficient to meet the “aspirations and hopes of the Kurdish people,” demanding that their rights be anchored in the constitution.
First published: 11:51, 01.20.26