Increasing Disputes Over the Integration of Kurdish Forces into the Structure of the Syrian Interim Government

According to KurdPress, the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported in a report that political and media disputes have intensified over the process of integrating the military forces and civil institutions of the Kurdish regions of Syria into the structure of the Syrian Interim Government. These disputes increased after "Mazoum Abdi", an advisor to the Syrian presidency, accused some parties of trying to stop the implementation of the agreements. According to the report, Abdi announced in an interview with the Kurdish television channel Noche TV that the Afrin Special Forces are undergoing training and will soon begin their official activities. He also said that the Syrian interim government has agreed to accept the Women's Defense Units as two special forces to combat terrorism in the areas of Jazira and Kobani.

One of the most important areas of disagreement in the integration process is the future status of the Women's Defense Units. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights previously reported on November 6 that these units and the Syrian Ministry of Interior had reached a preliminary understanding to integrate two YPJ battalions into the ministry's special mission forces.

Meanwhile, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper announced that it had contacted the Syrian Ministry of Interior and the presidential team responsible for overseeing the agreements to obtain further clarification on the manner in which the YPJ was integrated and the status of the Afrin Special Forces, but had not received a response.

All these developments show that despite the various parties’ emphasis on continuing the integration process, how to maintain the organized structures of the Kurdish forces, the status of the Women’s Defense Units, and the extent of the authority of local forces in the new Syrian security structure are still unresolved issues in this process.