ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government are set to meet “in the coming weeks” to discuss the future of northeast Syria (Rojava), the co-chair of Rojava’s ruling party said on Wednesday, amid a stalled SDF-Damascus integration deal. 

“A comprehensive meeting will take place in Damascus in the coming weeks,” Salih Muslim told SDF-affiliated Ronahi TV, noting that American mediators and the US-led international coalition “will also be present at the meeting.”

His remarks come two days after an unprecedented visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington, where he met US President Donald Trump. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also present, and said he discussed “Turkey’s general views on Syria.” 

Muslim argued that given Fidan’s participation, it is “evident that the administration of northeast Syria was discussed,” asserting that “after Sharaa returns to Syria, this matter will be discussed with the SDF.” 

Ankara and Damascus have been intensifying calls on the Rojava administration and its Kurdish-led forces to integrate into the Syrian state apparatus outlined in the March 10 agreement, with both parties deeming the presence of the autonomous administration as a threat to their national sovereignty.

For Turkey, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), SDF’s backbone, is the extension of its domestic foe, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), prompting the country’s continuous calls for the dismantlement of the Kurdish-led forces. However, the YPG insists that they merely subscribe to a similar ideology.

“The country could increasingly face fragmentation,” Fidan said during a meeting in Washington, warning of the consequences if “problems” in the country’s northeast are not resolved, claiming it would threaten Syria’s “overall regional and territorial integrity.”

Meanwhile, the new Damascus government has leaned towards a centralized form of governance, firmly denouncing the demands for decentralization and autonomy by minority groups across the country, and urging its Kurdish component to merge into a centralized Syrian state.

“Now there is assimilation and there is integration. We want to integrate into Syria on the basis of democracy,” Muslim said, arguing that if the opposing side does not believe in democracy, the administration “cannot achieve integration with them.”

On Tuesday, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi thanked Trump for giving Syria “a chance at greatness,” praising Damascus for joining the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).

Abdi also reaffirmed the SDF’s commitment to “accelerate the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state,” citing his phone call with US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack discussing the Sharaa-Trump meeting. 

The SDF in late October submitted a list of its commanders to the US-led global coalition for integration into the Syrian army.