ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A delegation of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Mazloum Abdi, arrived in Damascus on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials on a stalled landmark integration deal between the Syrian government and authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava).

The delegation, led by Abdi and including senior SDF members Sozdar Derik and Sipan Hemo, is in Damascus for “discussions related to the military integration process,” the Kurdish-led force said in a statement.

“Further details will be released later,” the statement added.

On March 10, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Abdi signed an agreement to integrate the SDF and institutions in Rojava into the Syrian state.

The implementation of the agreement has been stalled due to the Kurdish side demanding a democratic integration while Damascus maintains its centralized stance, with frequent clashes between both sides further escalating tensions.

Abdi was initially set to visit Damascus before the end of 2025, but the visit was delayed, coinciding with clashes between Kurdish-led security forces (Asayish) and Damascus-affiliated fighters in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods. 

In October, the SDF said that it had submitted the names of around 70 commanders to be integrated into the Syrian defense ministry. Abdi said a month later that the Kurdish-led force will play a “great role” in the to-be-formed Syrian army and will “strengthen it.” 

While the March 10 agreement was supposed to be completed by the end of 2025, the Rojava administration’s communications office has said that this did not indicate a fixed deadline but was rather a timeline “to encourage progress.”

Turkish authorities have also intensified calls on the Kurdish forces to integrate into the Syrian army, as Ankara views the SDF as an extension of its now-dissolved domestic foe, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and thus a threat to its national security. Turkey has also on several occasions made direct and indirect threats to the SDF for allegedly stalling the process.