Shafaq News– Damascus

Talks between Syria’s transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), ended without agreement, a source familiar with the discussions told Shafaq News on Monday.

The source did not provide further details on the circumstances or content of the talks. However, officials cited by the German Press Agency (dpa) said the meeting lasted nearly five hours and was tense, citing pressure on Abdi from Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leadership to drop a deal reportedly backed by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.

According to the same accounts, Al-Sharaa offered Abdi the post of deputy defense minister and the authority to nominate a governor for Hasakah in exchange for severing ties between the SDF and the PKK and concluding an agreement. Abdi rejected the offer, insisting that Hasakah, including its civilian administration, remain under SDF control.

Damascus, the sources added, refused that condition and tied any deal to deploying Interior Ministry forces in Hasakah, noting that Abdi then asked for five days to consult his leadership, but Syrian officials declined and demanded a response by day’s end, warning that failure would lead Damascus to inform international parties that the SDF had withdrawn, with the Hasakah issue handled militarily.

Shafaq News could not independently verify these claims with official representatives from either side.

Abdi had earlier said he was traveling to Damascus to discuss shared national issues, describing Syria’s conflict as imposed by multiple actors. He also confirmed SDF redeployments from parts of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa toward Hasakah to reduce civilian harm, citing mediation efforts, including talks in Erbil.

On Sunday, Al-Sharaa signed an agreement with the SDF aimed at stopping recent clashes and advancing integration into state institutions. The accord grants Damascus authority over oil fields, allows the appointment of a new governor in Hasakah, and places provincial civilian institutions under central administration.

Read more: March 10 Syria–SDF Pact tested as unwritten timeline nears end-2025