Syrian MoD rejects Kurdish proposal for its own military bloc
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Syria's new defense minister says the US-backed Kurdish fighters should not retain a separate bloc within the unified Syrian armed forces.
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Syria's newly appointed defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, undated. (Social Media/X)
Syria's newly appointed defense minister stated on Sunday that it would not be appropriate for US-backed Kurdish fighters in the country's northeast to maintain their separate bloc within the unified Syrian armed forces.
In an interview with Reuters at the Defense Ministry in Damascus, Murhaf Abu Qasra accused the leadership of the Kurdish fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of procrastinating in addressing the complex issue.
The SDF, which has created a semi-autonomous zone over 14 years of civil war, has been negotiating with the new administration in Damascus, led by the armed groups that overthrew President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi stated that one of their key demands is a decentralized administration. In an interview with Saudi Arabia's Asharq News channel last week, he emphasized that the SDF is open to integrating with the Defense Ministry, but as "a military bloc" and without disbanding.
Abu Qasra rejected that proposal on Sunday.
"We say that they would enter the Defense Ministry within the hierarchy of the Defense Ministry, and be distributed in a military way - we have no issue there," he said.
"But for them to remain a military bloc within the Defense Ministry, such a bloc within a big institution is not right."
Since taking office, one of the minister's main priorities has been integrating Syria's diverse anti-Assad factions into a unified command structure. However, this has proven difficult with the SDF. While the US sees the group as a vital ally in the fight against Islamic State militants, neighboring Turkiye views it as a national security threat.
He expressed hope to complete the integration process, including appointing senior military figures, by March 1, when the transitional government's mandate is set to expire.
