Syria’s Sharaa hopes for Kurdish deal to prevent conflict

18/8/2025 6:27

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has expressed hope that his country would avoid military conflict with U.S.-backed Kurdish forces if efforts to integrate their autonomous administration in northeast Syria into the state structure collapse.



In remarks late on Saturday to senior figures from Idlib, where he has mustered loyalist forces, Sharaa said Kurdish leaders had signalled readiness to move forward with a landmark deal in March to bring their Kurdish-run areas under state authority.



But their actions on the ground suggested otherwise, he told the publicised forum.



"At times on the ground there are signals opposite to what they say in the negotiations,” Sharaa said.



Turkey and Washington, the main powers backing the deal to integrate Syria's oil-rich northeast into the state, wanted to resolve the issue peacefully, Sharaa said.



"These parties are pushing for a solution peacefully. I hope we don't enter into a dispute. I am hopeful in a few months we will resolve it," he said.



The collapse of follow-up talks since the March deal has escalated tensions in the region, triggering fresh clashes this month between government troops and the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).