ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syria’s Kurds desire a decentralized state to manage their affairs, Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told the Associated Press on Sunday, emphasizing that they do not aim for the Kurdistan Region's model. 

 

“Syria is not Iraq, Iraq is not Syria, and northeast Syria is not (Iraq’s) Kurdistan,” Abdi stated, adding that the Kurds in Syria do not wish to break away and form an autonomous region like that of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

 

“Our vision for Syria is a decentralized, secular, and civil nation founded on democracy that respects the rights of all its components,” he further elaborated.

 

The Kurds currently have a semi-autonomous administration known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), which was established during a conference in July 2018 in Al Tabqa city. 

 

The AANES is safeguarded by local police, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), which later integrated into the multi-ethnic and multi-religious SDF.

 

Following Assad's downfall, SDF commander-in-chief Abdi stated they had not "made any decision to fight against" the new administration in Damascus, nor did they plan to combat the SDF.

 

The US-backed Kurdish forces currently manage the majority of northeastern and eastern Syria, covering about a quarter of the country. Established in 2015, the SDF is deemed the Kurdish de facto army in Syria.

 

A conference last week proclaiming the victory of the Syrian revolution saw the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as the interim President of Syria. During the conference, a decision was made to dissolve the former regime’s army, and armed factions, including the US-backed SDF. 

 

“The matter was not discussed with us,” Abdi said of the decision to dissolve the armed groups. “We were not present there and we will not comment.” 

 

Abdi said that there are ongoing negotiations between the SDF and al-Sharaa and that their “stance will be based on the results of the negotiations.”