FACTBOX – Full terms of ceasefire, integration agreement between Syrian government, SDF

By Tarek Chouiref
ISTANBUL (AA) – Syria’s government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group have concluded a far-reaching agreement aimed at ending military confrontation in northeastern Syria and restoring full state authority over key regions east of the Euphrates River.

The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.

The deal follows days of rapid military and political developments, including local uprisings, defections from YPG/SDF ranks and advancing Syrian army operations across Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas.
According to SANA news agency, the agreement lays out a framework combining an immediate ceasefire with administrative, military and institutional reintegration of the SDF under Damascus’ authority.

Below are the main points of the agreement:

- Ceasefire, redeployment and territorial control

The agreement provides for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts and contact lines between Syrian government forces and SDF.

As part of initial steps, all YPG/SDF military formations are to withdraw east of the Euphrates River, paving the way for redeployment and the entry of Syrian army units into former contact zones.

Under the deal, the governorates of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa will be placed immediately under full administrative and military control of the Syrian government, including the takeover of all civil institutions and facilities. Damascus has pledged not to pursue SDF fighters or civil administration personnel in the two provinces.

- Civil administration and resource control

In Hasakah, all civilian institutions previously run by the SDF-affiliated administration are to be absorbed into Syria’s official administrative framework, restoring centralized governance structures.

The agreement also transfers control of all border crossings and major oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria to the Syrian government. Regular Syrian forces are tasked with securing energy infrastructure to ensure that national resources return to state management.

- Security restructuring and integration

SDF members will be integrated individually into Syria’s defense and interior ministries following security vetting. Those accepted will receive official ranks and full military entitlements, while the agreement stresses respect for the social and cultural particularities of Kurdish-majority areas.

The deal bars the incorporation of remnants of the former Assad regime into the SDF ranks, with the group required to submit lists of former regime officers operating in northeastern Syria.

- Local governance and special arrangements
A presidential decree will appoint a governor for Hasakah, as a guarantee of political participation and local representation.

In Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), heavy military deployments will be removed, with security handled by locally recruited forces alongside a local police unit administratively linked to Syria’s Interior Ministry.

- Detainees, leadership roles and Kurdish rights

Responsibility for ISIS (Daesh) detainees and camps, as well as forces guarding them, will be transferred to the Syrian government, which will assume full legal and security responsibility.

The agreement allows for the inclusion of figures proposed by the SDF leadership in senior military, security and civilian positions within state institutions as part of a national partnership framework.

It also welcomes Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026, which recognizes Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights and addresses long-standing civil status and property issues.

- Regional security and displacement
The SDF commits itself to the removal of all non-Syrian PKK leaders and members from Syrian territory to safeguard sovereignty and regional stability.

Damascus reaffirms its commitment to combating ISIS as part of the international coalition, including continued coordination with the United States.

The agreement further calls for steps toward the safe and dignified return of displaced residents to areas such as Afrin and Sheikh Maqsoud.