SDF disbandment sparks Kurdish rights debate in Syria and Iraq

September 9, 2026 at 10:57 AM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) merged into Syrian government forces last month, sparking debate among Kurds in Syria, Iraq, and Turkiye about their future rights. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi called the move a transition from battlefields to construction and from weapons to peace. Some Kurdish politicians see the integration as an opportunity to demand rights through the constitution, while others view it as a result of Turkish and US pressure.

Key Facts

The SDF merged into Syrian government forces last month, and the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration was dissolved.
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi announced the transition from battlefields to construction from the presidential palace in Damascus.
The PKK decided to dissolve in May 2025 and end the armed conflict.
Turkiye considers the PKK and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, and Iran as terrorist groups.

Kurdish Reactions

Some Kurdish politicians hail the integration as a door for Kurds to participate in building the new Syria and to demand their rights through the constitution. Others consider the step a result of Turkish and US pressure. Talal Mohammed, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party in Syria, called the developments a turning point in the Kurdish issue. Mohammed said the coming phase requires uniting Kurdish ranks and working to attain all rights in the new constitution.

External Pressures

Turkiye has calculated close ties with the Syrian government that came to power after Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December 2024. Turkiye has attacked Kurdish fighters along its border with Syria in the past. The US helped form the SDF in 2015 but threw its weight behind the al-Sharaa government. The US-backed SDF controlled Syria's northeast, home to most of the country's Kurdish population, for more than a decade.