Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus

Damascus, Jan 19: The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday agreed to an immediate ceasefire after weeks of intermittent clashes that ended with the SDF losing significant territory, strategic assets and political leverage, sharply weakening its position in northern and eastern Syria.

The 14-point agreement, released by Syria’s information ministry late Sunday, came after rapid advances by government forces into areas long controlled by the SDF, including Arab-majority districts where its hold had appeared fragile. Government troops also seized Syria’s largest oil field early on Sunday, extending state control across vast stretches of the north and east.

Analysts said the sudden battlefield shift stripped the SDF of revenue sources and negotiating power even before talks began. Under the agreement, the SDF accepted the “full and immediate administrative and military handover” of Raqqa in the north and Deir Ezzor in the east, leaving it with control only over northeastern Hasakah.

The contrast with earlier negotiations has been stark. In early January 2026, the SDF had rejected a proposal to integrate three regional divisions spanning Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa, along with shared control of border crossings. Under the new deal, however, the SDF will hand over full control of all border crossings to Damascus, while its fighters will be absorbed into the Syrian army as individuals rather than organised units.

State institutions in the previously semi-autonomous Kurdish-dominated northeast will now come under central government authority. Point four of the accord explicitly states that the Syrian government will take control of all border crossings, oil fields and gas fields in the region, ensuring that resources return to the Syrian state, while “considering the special case of Kurdish areas”.

The agreement also addresses international concerns over Islamic State detainees held by the SDF, with Damascus assuming full legal and security responsibility for them and continuing operations against remaining ISIS elements.

Omer Ozkizilcik, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the terms closely resembled an offer made by Ankara and Damascus to the SDF a year ago. “The SDF stalled and did not implement the offer, and now we are seeing them agreeing to the same framework after military pressure,” he said.

Another key clause requires foreign SDF elements linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the US, to leave Syria. Remaining fighters will be inducted into state forces on an individual basis following security vetting, with ranks and benefits assigned by the state.

Syria analyst Fadil Hanci said the new agreement was more precise and left little room for interpretation. “Damascus now has the upper hand and wants to convert its military gains into political results,” he said.

The deal also has personal implications for SDF leader Mazlum Abdi, who is expected to become governor of Hasakah, a role that would place him under Syria’s central authority rather than in a national leadership position.

Observers noted that eroding local support further weakened the SDF, with Arab tribes in SDF-held areas backing the government’s advance after months of outreach by Damascus.

From Ankara’s perspective, the outcome marks a major strategic shift. Gokhan Cinkara of the Center for Global and Regional Studies said the ceasefire was “a significant step towards Syria’s territorial integrity”, adding that Turkey now sees the SDF as having been rolled back as a long-term security threat.