Syria’s al-Sharaa rejects partition: Could cause regional fallout

Shafaq News – Damascus

Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa declared on Friday that Syria would not accept partition, warning that any attempt at secession in the northeast could destabilize Iraq and Turkiye.

Speaking in a televised interview, he argued that previous secessionist moves, including those linked to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had failed. Arabs account for more than 70% of the northeast’s population, he noted, adding that “the SDF do not represent all Kurds.”

Al-Sharaa, who assumed office after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government last year, also addressed foreign relations, confirming security talks with Israel over reviving or updating the 1974 disengagement accord, while pointing to recent visits by Russian and US delegations for political and military discussions. Ties with Iran, he acknowledged, have cooled since the transition, though Damascus “does not seek a permanent rupture.”

On unrest in Suwayda, al-Sharaa admitted errors by Druze, Bedouin, and state authorities during recent clashes but insisted that “Suwayda, like the northeast, remains an integral part of Syria.”