The SDF withdraws from al-Hol camp, and the Syrian army shows its readiness to secure the area.
Clarified Muhsen AlMustafa, a researcher at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, that the “SDF” mistakenly banked on time, the continuation of sanctions, and the government’s isolation to extract a federal formula, in addition to betting on the international coalition’s need for it. He confirmed that the “SDF” has effectively ended in its basic form, whether it accepts the agreement or not, stressing that if it does not adhere to the agreement’s provisions or the ceasefire, then a military solution will be the only option available to the Syrian state to close its file completely.
He explained that the Syrian state has the capability for military resolution but avoided resorting to it to prevent wider unrest, and instead moved to deliver positive political messages, including Decree No. 13, which grants Kurds cultural and linguistic rights. He defended the conduct of the Syrian army, noting that no violations against Kurdish civilians have been observed, and that its entry was limited to Arab areas in al-Hasakah to avoid confrontation, while accusing the “SDF” of committing excesses and shelling neighborhoods such as Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafiya in earlier stages. He also stressed that the government’s goal is to strengthen citizenship and reject sectarian quota-sharing.
Regarding the international position, Muhsen AlMustafa said the international coalition prefers dealing with one centralized state, not with influential forces outside the state framework, which explains the path of abandoning the “SDF.” He expected that U.S. financial allocations in the future would move toward the Syrian government—especially the Ministry of Defense—if the integration process succeeds, noting that the government has already begun assuming responsibilities in sensitive files such as ISIS prisons and al-Hol camp.
On the Turkish role, Muhsen AlMustafa indicated that Ankara supports the Syrian state in implementing the agreement and ending the “SDF” file, including the option of military resolution if necessary, in parallel with the internal peace track that Turkey is running with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. He considered that Turkey seeks Syria’s stability and the closure of this file to avoid any potential security blowback on its domestic arena.